It Only Takes A Minute
by magictrix
Summary: It only takes a minute to change the course of glee history. In this fic Puck doesn't reveal his baby daddy status to Mercedes and we then follow the repercussions throughout the next year of glee & beyond. Eventual futurefic. End game Finchel & Quick.
1. Pucks Choice

_**-Authors Intro-**_

_**Hey guys. So this is my first Glee fan fic. Well my first one on here. I usually just write silly little things for myself and stuff but I've been working on this one a bit so I thought I'd share. I hope you like it. **_

_**It's going to be a long one hopefully. It starts with Puck keeping his baby daddy secret to himself and the first 10 (guestimation) or so chapters will be how that changes the following year or so of Glee and then we'll have a huge skip forward to the future (like 5 or 10 years maybe). So basically slight AU/future fic all wrapped up into one.**_

_**I hope that made sense. I don't think it did :S**_

_**And I know I keep them apart a bit in this story at first but I'm major Team Finchel so I guess that's one thing to hang on to. That it will happen. This is at it's heart and in the end a Finchel fic. **_

_**Also this will be told by several characters. A different character each chapter (with some characters telling more than one chapter).**_

_**Anyway as I said I hope you like it. Please let me know if you do.**_

_**Oh yeah someone broke my heart last week and told me I don't own Glee. I think I died a little inside but I must concede that they are right. I'm just a hapless fan. **_

_**-X-**_

Puck had had just about enough of this.

"It's not fair, Finn get's everything. He gets the sympathy, he gets the girl"

Mercedes couldn't believe his attitude even for Puck, "What is your problem?"

A beat passed. But that was all it took for Puck to imagine his life if he gave it up and blurted out his dirty little secret. _Their dirty little secret_.

He knew Quinn would never choose him. Even if it got back to Finn and they broke up. She just didn't trust the Puckasaurus. He could prove himself again and again and she would still choose Finn and his oh so adorable charm.

Wait did he just call Finn adorable? That's wrong on so many levels.

He had made his choice. If there was one thing he could do for Quinn; Quinn whose life he had screwed three ways from Sunday, it would be to shut up.

So he did.

His hands were balled into such tight fists, he swears it felt like he was bleeding.

"This whole babygate drama is taking away major focus from the Puckmiester".

Mercedes wanted to slap the smirk of the boys face so much she hardly noticed how tense he was, "Alright look, you need to get something through your mohawk real quick, you are not the badass you may think you are. Not in here. Because Quinn and Finn, they have a hell of a lot going on and just because you can't be involved does not mean you are going to make any more drama".

Puck was only aware that she stopped talking once the sound stopped because he didn't hear a damn word she said, but he did use the time to count to ten, slowly. He did not need smashing up the choir room on his permanent record.

"You need to back off, don't you owe them that much?", she continued.

Well damn he heard that and he might have felt bad if it wasn't his baby.

Puck couldn't bare to stick around for the pity party much longer. He turned without so much as a second thought or explanation to Mercedes and stormed his way out

He didn't stop until he saw a dweeb who had conveniently enough placed themselves mere yards from the half full dumpster.

Well hello there.

The next day Puck sat reluctantly staring at Quinn. Tina and Artie had sat her down just as Mercedes had left to get Finn. He was gonna stare and he didn't care who noticed. Luckily the cheerios were making plans for the weekend, Tina and Artie were now laughing about some private joke in the corner and if anything could distract Berry from her vocal warm up, he had yet to find out what it was. Quinn sat there looking confused but not wanting to question anything and distinctly avoiding his gaze. He could tell she'd take a major confidence hit when she took of that fine looking cheerios uniform.

Not that she didn't look hot now. It was just a different kind of hot. Like a messed up natural hot thing. After all she was still the hottest girl in school or whatever.

He kept staring even when that bone head walked in with his eyes closed.

He watched as she shrugged at him and smiled that sweet little smile that she had flashed him that night he'd done the deed.

He didn't look away until Mr. Shue actually told them why they were there. Because it was the only point at which he didn't want to be in the room looking at her because he did not want to be a part of this.

Unfortunately Mercedes was once again getting all up in his business and tugged at his arm till he stood up. So much for sitting this one out.

The music started and he thought about just moving his lips and not singing. That'd be pretty easy.

But they wouldn't get anywhere without his badass vocals.

They started swaying and bobbing their heads.

Hell no.

But then she smiled. A wide, genuine smile. And for a second he felt like she was smiling right at him. She wasn't, she was just smiling but that so wasn't the point.

Next thing he knew, he was following the choreography, singing his little heart out and adding some signature Puck to the song. He was such a girl.

Well all he had to do was not look at her. _At them_. Just stay in the back and get through the song. Simple.

Then they all walked towards them, hugging and free styling and being generally sickening.

Since when was this club so happy?

Oh yeah since forever.

Damn his cool was lost on these people.

Suddenly Quinn looked at him. Actually looked at him this time. He smiled back because, hell what else could he do?

He was like a big girl but with awesome guns.

Well he got through the number eventually. He stayed for as long as he could afterwards while they all did their mushy stuff. It was like being in group therapy or something. Even Berry was all sunshine. Cooing over not just Finn but Quinn too. Quinn who had hated her since time began.

He didn't need this. He had done his good deed for the decade by agreeing to the lie of the century. Tarnishing his rep for humping cheerleaders in the process. But he'd done what she asked and now she could do whatever she wanted with _their_ baby.

It just sucked that he couldn't stop himself from sticking around to watch.


	2. Rachels Crush

_**-Authors notes-**_

_**It's a weekend double whammy. I'm not trying to get hopes up for daily updates or anything but I am a few chapters ahead at the moment and since this one only required some checks from myself I wanted to get my first Rachel chapter up. Yeah it's a little shorter than Pucks but Rach has a lot more chapters coming than Puck so it's only fair right? (Although I do adore writing as Puck, he's my favourite badass)**_

_**I hope you guys like it, and thanks to those of you that have already added story alerts. I only put the first chapter up last night and woke up this morning to a inbox full of them. **_

_**And while I say no daily updates I doubt it'll be too long to wait. I'm having so much fun writing this. I mean it. **_

_**Once again this slightly crazed fan owns nothing of Glee. But glee does own my heart. As does Finchel. **_

_**So without further ado. Chapter 2. Can't wait to hear what some of you guys think. **_

_**-X-**_

Rachel sat at the back of the choir room watching in quiet adoration as Finn sang.

He strutted towards Quinn singing the final lines to 'Hello I Love You' and Rachel felt she might have died right there and then had he moved towards her at that moment.

She could kill him she really could. After all it wasn't her fault. She hadn't wanted to like him. She hadn't meant to find out that inside the good looking, popular jock was a genuinely kind and thoughtful boy. She was content with suffering her unpopularity alone but now her head was full of fanciful ideas of friendship and a world where he wanted to be with her as much as she wanted him.

It wasn't fair.

Mr. Shue showered his favorite rock star with praise as he sat back down next to his girlfriend.

She shook her head to clear away her inappropriate thoughts on the Finn matter. Leaping from her chair she raced over to their teacher as the bell rang, "Mr. Schuester, I'd like to run some of my Hello ideas by you".

Behind her the club members began to disperse as Rachel handed her song list to the teacher. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Quinn dropping a book without realizing and then Finn dropping one of his as he picked hers up.

"Well Rachel, I love this Beyonce track but I think you'll be a lot stronger with the Lionel Ritchie song. It's a classic after all".

She snapped her gaze back to Mr. Schuester with a slight smile at Finns chivalry.

"I think you're right, I'll pick up the sheet music later and start working on it right away".

She spun around quickly, sweeping her long hair behind her and he just chuckled softly at her dedication. It was only a weekly glee assignment but Rachel treated every single one like a make or break moment for her career.

If she ever needed to prove that constantly striving for perfection was worth while, her performance at sectionals had done that.

But as Rachel began the short walk home with her iPod shuffling through her monumental music library she considered the situation she had put herself in. Or should she say put her heart in.

It was never going to end well. There would be no rainbows for Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson. He was crazy about his cliche pregnant girlfriend.

_Pregnant_. She had to keep reminding herself. Pregnant with Finns baby.

Case closed.

"Well no more of this nonsense Rachel Berry" she told herself. Her thoughts had been whirling around faster than normal.

Picking up speed on the street rather than inside her own head she became resolved to commit all her pent up, angst ridden emotions into her music where they belonged. However she still had no idea how to forget about him.

-X-

"But let me start by saying I love you"

His hands played the last notes on the piano and Rachel looked up at him still slightly dazed at the situation she had found herself in.

Was this cute boy really smiling at her? The music stopped and she couldn't take her eyes off of him as he nodded briefly to the small crowd that had formed.

He smiled at her again, she couldn't believe it. She considered pinching herself and her fingers were inching themselves closer to her arm to try it as he opened his mouth to speak.

"We should do this more often" he commented.

Sing? or stare aimlessly into each others eyes?

He continued despite her silence, "How's Friday night?"

Definitely stare aimlessly.

Rachel smiled sheepishly forgetting her heartache at the hands of Finn Hudson. Here was a talented, handsome, confident boy who was not ashamed to be seen with her in public. In fact he'd only just met her and within minutes they were starting impromptu performances together.

She still hadn't answered and only noticed it was her turn to speak when she caught the frown scrunching his forehead as he waited for a answer. It was a rare occurrence that Rachel Berry forgot to speak.

"I would love to Jesse St. James", saying his full name made it all the more real.

His face instantly lit up.

"Honestly Jesse is fine".

They went over the arrangements for Friday and Rachel caught herself holding a breath as his hand grazed hers while exchanging numbers.

He actually had a contact card.

"A business card for those in the business of contacting me", he had told her. For some reason she was close to swooning at that. Maybe Jesse was a distraction, or maybe Jesse was the like minded, talented man she had been waiting for.

Either way Rachel had gone a whole 20 minutes without thinking about that quarterback.


	3. Quinns Mistake

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**It's a Quinn chapter but for those of you waiting for the Finn/Jesse thing. Chapter 4, I promise. However Finn grows a pair in this chapter but is still a good guy (in my eyes anyway). Yay!**_

**_I want to say that some of the anger in this chapter is baby hormones. _**

_**As someone who has recently spent a lot of time with a hormonal pregnant woman, trust me when I say the level of crazy in this chapter is not nearly enough! And I don't for a second believe that Quinn is this much of a, well bitch, without all those chemical hormones messing with her brain. **_

_**All in all though I'm not sure about this chapter but I need it to get me to where I'm going. And this actually seems a pretty plausible outcome to me. **_

_**I hope you enjoy. Thanks for the reviews. Keep on trucking. **_

_**-X-**_

Quinn finished the shading on her 'artists impression' of Rachel as the girls sat in choir room. It always helped to have her model sitting above her when it came to Quinns doodles.

Suddenly Rachel broke the silence after spending the last few minutes fidgeting, "can I ask you guys something private?".

"Yes you should move to Israel", Santana replied.

It took all of her willpower not to laugh loudly at that one as Rachel jumped up to face the rest of them.

Rachel began rambling about dating and how she wasn't dating Jesse but maybe she was dating _someone_.

Could man hands be any more obvious? How many people could seriously like a hobbit who dresses like a toddler? And how many people would seriously go with her to a Wiggles concert? Is that even a thing?

"Would you please stop talking? You're grossing out my baby".

Rachel continued with her sex talk regardless of Quinns comment and the cheerios helpfully suggested being a slut was the way to go.

Thanks guys.

Tina then chipped in with how Artie had disrespected her. What was up with the guys lately? Quinn at least had Finn. He may not have been the brightest star in the sky but he kept her from the social squalor that was slushie facials. And he was a far better option than Puck. The babysitting saga had proved that.

Quinn almost kicked herself after that episode. Why did she ever believe that Puck would be either faithful or responsible?

She looked up to rejoin the conversation. Rachel was talking about a awkward chat with the guidance councilor and Mr. Schue was trying to understand 'girl issues'. Ha.

"The fact is that women still earn seventy cents to every dollar that a man does for doing the same job. That attitude starts in high school". That should prove the point. Because when all is said and done, it's was a mans fault that she was in this situation in the first place. Damn Puck.

She exited the room quickly to find Finn waiting by her locker.

"Hey", he mumbled as he bent down to kiss her on the cheek.

She smiled and nodded back at him.

He took a long gulp of air. "So I was thinking that maybe we can get together tonight? I wanted to talk about some stuff and I'm on the early shift at work".

She looked up at him with curiosity. Finn wanted to talk? Was it possible she had now heard everything? Her boyfriend who she was pretty sure had like a 'D' in English wanted to talk?

"Erm, sure Finn. About anything in particular?", she questioned with little enthusiasm.

"Not much, just like us and the baby and stuff. I'll be back around 8. That cool?"

She sighed. The last thing she wanted was another conversation about the baby but she was living in his house. What other plans did she have?

"I'll be waiting".

-X-

They had been arguing for the last half hour now. It was only getting worse and worse.

The horrible feeling of frustration was rising in her throat. She felt the anger bubbling to the surface at his blatant stupidity and as much as she wanted to stop herself the words were already on her tongue.

"How stupid are you Finn? You seriously think that just because you have some part time job after school we'll be able to live?", she screamed at him while raising her hands in frustration. Luckily his mom was on the late shift and would not be privy to their disagreement.

This wasn't the first argument they'd suffered recently. The 'important conversation' Finn started was actually going well until they hit the first hurdle. Finn had kept it no secret that he wanted to keep the baby.

"I'm sick of this. Why can't you trust me? I'm doing everything I can!", he looked fed up but spoke with anger. This from Finn who rarely raised his voice to her.

Despite sensing the change in their dynamic she continued, because she couldn't stop the words from spewing out, "how can I trust you to provide for me when you still spend so much of your day staring at treasure trail? She's taken and I'm pregnant and you still can't keep your eyes off of her!"

It felt like the silence would fill an eternity.

He blushed first. Like a 12 year old boy caught with playboys. Then he furrowed his brow.

"She's taken? But she dumped that Jesse kid and..."

"Oh wake up and smell the coffee genius, she never dumped him".

The look of disappointment on his face only worked to enrage her further. Why was he still so bothered about Berry's love life when he was in the middle of a argument with her?

He attempted to explain himself.

"Rachel is my friend. My friend who doesn't call me an idiot. My friend who thinks I'm worth something. She helped me get this job and..."

She sneered at what was _so_ not the right thing to say just then.

"If I wanted to hear her greatest hits I'd ask her boyfriend, Jesse. But as it is I'm talking to _my_ boyfriend. Or at least I'm trying to understand how he thinks he'll support me and my baby on a bus boy salary".

"That's my baby too but.."

He'd snapped. She could see it in his eyes.

"But what Finn?" she continued to push him.

Still Quinn didn't expect what came out of his mouth next.

"But maybe you're not my girlfriend anymore".

He looked like he had apparently come to some sort of realization.

"You were never going to keep it huh Quinn?", he rubbed the back of his neck with nothing but sadness pouring out of his now lowered eyes.

There's that damn realization.

Her eyes flashed but she struggled to stand her ground. The anger on her face was quickly being replaced by fear tinged with her own sadness. He backtracked quickly when he looked up and saw the change in her.

"I'll still help with the baby and everything but...," he was panicking, "but you don't believe I can look after you and nothing is going to change your mind", the last part came out a rushed jumble of words. She couldn't look at him because deep down Quinn knew he was right.

She was dumbstruck, since when did Finn Hudson know so much?

"I never said that Finn, I..", she attempted to reassure herself as much as him but for the first time in any argument they had ever had she felt like she was losing.

He stood there decided. Still awkward and sad but decided. There were very few times Quinn had seen him so sure of himself but behind everything else he was sure of his decision right now.

Quinn didn't know what to do. They had fought, sure, but it had never got this far before. If anyone called a break up it was always Quinn, albeit temporarily. Quinn was the one who ran the show, she was in charge, she got what she wanted.

She'd wanted Finn, she'd chosen him over Puck. She'd chosen him because Finn was honest and good. He was quarterback and not a sex shark interested in one thing. Finn was supposed to be the father, if only for a little while. She hadn't planned on pushing him this far.

"You can't do this to me", her words were barely more than a whisper. "I... I can't do this on my own". She wouldn't beg, Quinn Fabray did not beg. She merely stated the obvious in the desperate hope that he would see the light.

He nodded solemnly, "We can fake it, until the baby comes. I just can't be your boyfriend anymore... not really. Not anything except, well like pretending".

In his own way he had actually made sense. He would fake their relationship. He couldn't stand to be with her but he would stick by her because she was carrying his baby.

Thank god he didn't know the truth.

Quinn sat down on the edge of his bed and just let the tears come. She didn't care anymore that he was there or that he didn't quite know what to do when she cried. She just needed to cry.

He sat next to her with a hand around her shoulder in a act of caring. She knew she wasn't crying because she loved Finn. She liked him but love had been too strong a word for her feelings towards him. She'd always suspected that it was why it had been so easy to cheat on him, because she didn't love him. She knew these tears weren't for him.

It was everything. Every emotion she had bottled up in the last few months suddenly exploded all in this moment of vulnerability. Her parents, the baby, her reputation, her cheerios spot, the whispers that followed her everywhere but more than anything the crushing loneliness that threatened to engulf her. She was Quinn Fabray. She was a legend and here she sat with a big lug who wouldn't even be looking at her if he knew the truth, while she had rejected the real baby daddy from the word go. How had she ended up pushing both men away and leaving herself alone?

With one last bout of tears she looked up at her idiot boyfriend who was trying nothing more than to support her and sighed trying to believe what had just happened.

Well to correct herself, her idiot ex-boyfriend.


	4. Finns Fists

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**I've been having trouble with this chapter, at this point I'm just uploading and hoping for the best. **_

_**I think I worked out the trouble though. **_

_**I'm writing a Finn chapter and right now I couldn't be more upset with both of them. I'm so in love with Finchel and Finchel let me down :( I'm sure a lot of you are with me on that. Except for the damn Puckleberry fans. (Love ya really guys but hands off my Finchel)**_

_**Regardless this fic will continue how I intended, I already pretty much have the whole thing mapped. It was always going to be a long time coming sort of fic. But never a give you Finchel and then stomp all over Finchel type fic... ok so I'm not over it yet. (I had serious issues I was considering calling it a day and quitting Glee cold turkey - it would have never worked but still I was considering!)**_

_**Anyway I have moaned enough about it now. I should probably get on with it. Ok so yeah this is my first Finn chapter. Hope you guys like it. Just a heads up, next chapter is Jesse. **_

_**Peace and love my Finchel fellows. Also thanks for the reviews guys I try to get back to everyone but I am willing to bet I missed a few of you so I'll say it now. I loves you for reviewing. Oh yeah I own nothing of glee. Which is obvious, if I did 2x09 would NOT have played out that way. **_

_**-X-**_

Finn had never been a great thinker and he rarely explored too deeply into his emotions because well he's a guy, but he just couldn't take Quinn always yelling at him. About everything. '_Finn this is wrong_', '_Finn that's not enough_', '_Finn you're not enough!_'

It was suffocating. And it was bringing him down.

He had always figured that he'd be with Quinn forever, especially since she's having his baby. Finn kinda felt sucky for breaking up with her and it hadn't helped that she had cried herself to sleep after but he was doing the right thing by sticking with her, well till she gave up their baby.

He was not happy about that, not at all.

But there were more important things to be dealing with right now. Like the look on Mr. Schues face.

"I'm very disappointed in you guys".

Finn looked at Rachel, sitting there in her sneaky hot skirt with that curly haired douche draped over her like a jacket. "I can't believe you narked on us".

She shook Jesse off and Finn barely hid his smile at that, but then she leaned forward and turned to look at him with fire in her eyes. "Don't get mad at me for exposing your laziness. I'm tired of carrying all of your weight, except for Jesse", she leaned back into him and Finn switched straight back to bitter resentment as she finished, "regionals is in a month guys".

Mr. Schue looked majorly worried, his face was all screwed up like he ate a bad burrito or something. "I'm just trying to understand what's going on here".

He turned to Finn, "Finn why did you stop singing?".

Finn was sick of this pretending he didn't care bit because well, he actually did care, "I haven't been getting any male leads, kinda shook my confidence you know?".

He swore he saw a smirk on Jesses face at that confession.

Everyone started blurting out their reasons behind operation lip sync but under the radar of the public confessions he heard Jesse whisper to Rachel, "amateur. Throwing a childish fit because he lost the male lead to a clearly superior voice. He should just be happy that the club has a shot at nationals now".

Finn saw red. He felt like he was in one of those old cartoons where the characters head explodes in anger or something. He didn't continue listening to hear Rachel defend him. All he heard was that he had to do a solo this week. A solo for where he was right now. That was easy, angry and jealous.

Finn wanted to teach that idiot a lesson and show Rachel, Mr Schue and the rest of Glee that they should never have doubted him.

But he had to find a song.

Finn allowed the golden couple and the rest of Glee to exit ahead of him before walking out on auto. He moved for his locker ditching his school stuff and getting ready to see a game with Burt. All the while he mentally went through his music collection, racking his brain for the song. A song that would continue his rock star status with the club and at the same time put Jesse in his...

That was it. Jesse.

Through the veil of red hot anger Finn had thought of the perfect song.

He grinned at the brilliance of his song choice as he spotted Burt, "ok I'm ready".

Burt shouted back about meeting him at the car and Finns smile was even bigger. A afternoon of awesome football and then practicing the song that would wipe that smug smirk off of _his_ face.

Finn stood at the car waiting for Burt when he saw Jesse open the door on his Range Rover for Rachel. Finn couldn't help singing a little under his breath.

"But lately somethings changed that ain't hard to define, Jesses got himself a girl and I wanna make her mine".

-X-

Finn sat waiting outside of Figgin's office. The ice pack on his eye felt both comforting to the now bruised area and like a million tiny freezing needles at the same time.

At least the pain was worth it. Jesse may have got the first shot but Jesse was a performer who just got lucky. Finn however was a giant footballer who didn't really need luck.

Just as Finn removed the ice from his face to apply it to his fist he heard a tiny pair of feet running down the hall.

He turned to see Rachel laden with books turn a corner and come to a abrupt halt in front of him.

"Oh hi Finn". She did that thing where she averted her gaze while tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, which could only mean she was feeling nervous or awkward. Maybe both. He wondered if she knew how adorable she was? If Jesse ever told her so?

He couldn't say exactly when he'd started liking Rachel _so_ much. He'd always liked her he guessed, he'd kissed her before baby gate and all but now it was like how much he wanted her had doubled since he broke up with Quinn.

Even though he was still pretending to be with Quinn his brain was all like, 'guess what dude? You're free to dig on that smoking Rachel chick now! High five!'.

Stupid brain.

"Hey Rach, listen about what happened in glee with the fight and the song and well..."

She raised her hand to silence him, "Finn. I completely understand that things must be more than a little frustrating for you at the moment. I've noticed that things between you and Quinn have been frosty at best recently, which can't be easy with a baby on the way and although you haven't chosen to confide in me I feel I need to make you realize that public displays of emotion like this will do little to help. Especially when those displays of affection are aimed at... well not Quinn. However flattering your solo was you must understand when I say this Finn..."

She paused to sit down next to him as she sincerely placed a hand on his knee. She was apparently clueless to how this sudden physical contact had shocked and excited him. "...I'm with Jesse. You may not be as happy with Quinn as you were before the pregnancy but this is no time for you to be complicating things any more than they already are. You both have a lot to handle in your immediate future. Furthermore I care about Jesse deeply and he has made it very clear that he feels the same way about me".

Finn may not have kept up with her entire speech but he knew what she was getting at. Especially since the last part was a burn on him. Finn had strung her along in the past and he had cared about his rep more than her, but he knew what he wanted now whether he was too late or not.

"When are you going to realize he's not into you the way I am?", he blurted out.

Crap. He meant to think that.

But the word vomit didn't make it untrue. He was into her. She was the only one who understood him really. He hadn't even said anything to her about Quinn, but Rachel with her scary mind reading had at least worked out that they were having problems. He didn't even need to ask her if that's how she knew, because he knew her too.

He also kind of thought she would have said something by now.

"Rachel?"

They both looked up, locked in the positions from their frank conversation. It seemed to take a lifetime but eventually Rachel recognized the bruised face of her boyfriend and quickly removed her hand and inched away.

Smooth move Hudson, you scared her off.

"Jesse, I came to see if you were ok", she jumped up and leapt at him and Finn could tell she was attempting to put a human barrier between the two boys.

Jesse ignored what he had walked in on and turned to Finn regardless of the girl hanging at his neck.

"Ok Finn I think we've had our big showdown. Now is the part where I have to respectfully request that you stay away from my girl".

Finn looked between them both. Jesse had a raised eyebrow and a self satisfied grin on his spoiled face. Rachel was looking up at him with innocent, caring eyes. Oh he had fooled her good.

Finn sighed as he got up, defeated for now.

Towering over Jesse he shrugged, "I'll try my best man, I hope we can move past this. New Directions needs us both". The forced smile he painted on his face actually felt painful but Finn had to show Rachel he could settle this without killing Jesse.

Jesse nodded and Finn could see the faint stain where blood had been trickling from his nose.

"I appreciate that, she's a keeper", Jesse said as he finally seemed to realize she was there by wrapping his arms around her protectively.

Finn just about contained his bubbling jealousy at the sight of them once again wrapped around each other. For now at least it was a sight he would have to get used to.

As Jesse walked away, Rachel by his side, Finn felt like he was losing it until she turned her head for the briefest of seconds and whispered, "bye Finn".

Finn watched them as he heard her now cooing over Jesse again, "how are you feeling?".

The sound of Jesse laughing it off and telling her he's take a million more hits for her did nothing to ease Finns mood as Figgin's called him in.

He turned around resolved and regretting nothing. He didn't regret singing 'Jesses Girl' in front of the entire glee club including Jesse. He didn't regret beating that douche up and making his nose bleed and he especially didn't regret what he'd said to Rachel. The sooner she realized Jesse was not the guy for her the better. And the fact that the entire club had seen Jesse start the fight and he hadn't been expelled meant Finn was probably safe for now.

However Finn was not looking forward to the earful he would surely have to endure from Quinn for, and he quotes, "embarrassing her beyond belief".

He had kinda hoped fake girlfriends complained a little less.


	5. Jesses Gesture

_**-Authors Notes-**_

**_These chapters are getting longer and longer. I spoil you guys, really I do. _**

_**Ok so I know I said Finchel would be a long time coming so you've been warned but this part is something we will have to suffer together. Because right now in this fic Rah and Jesse actually like each other. It hurts to write as much as it hurts to read ;) **_

_**Anyway this chapter hopefully explains a bit more about Jesse liking Rachel. **_

_**I'm a little less erratic about the Finchel disaster on Glee. I'm slowly calming down. I don't like it but I'm accepting it. For now. I'm accepting it until it is fixed. If it's not fixed? Oh there shall be hell to pay. **_

_**Enough of my rambling, let's get this first Jesse chapter over with. **_

_**-X-**_

Jesse was a winner. Always had been, always would be.

That was why he had been the obvious choice for operation adopted daughter. That and he was the heart throb of Vocal Adrenaline, closer than any of them with Shelby. He was a star, just like the girl he was 'befriending'.

Shelby hadn't been happy with his methods but they worked, she couldn't complain.

The only issue had been Rachel.

Jesse never expected it to be anything more than a fling. A fling induced by his mentor and with the purpose of leading long lost mother and daughter together. He was good at flings, they were all he had allowed his entire life. Actual girlfriends, with feelings and such? They were too messy for Jesse St. James. He had bigger things to worry about, like winning.

The prize being Rachel, simple right?

However now Jesse St. James had found someone talented, driven and focused with real star potential. All of the characteristics he loved about himself.

It had still come as a surprise though when he'd started liking her. As in like like. As in falling for her. With the feelings and such.

It was the little things. The way she just took all of the crap anyone dished her and pumped herself back up. Because she was Rachel Berry. The way she believed in everyone, pumping them up in the process. Because she was Rachel Berry. The way she believed in him, trusting him despite the obvious reasons not to. Because she was Rachel Berry.

He was falling for Rachel freaking Berry.

He had tried to fight it. Tried to keep his eye on the prize but eventually his stupid heart had won out. He would continue to aid Shelby's pursuit of happiness but well, why couldn't he pursue some of his own?

And that's when Jesse had made a life changing decision.

He wasn't going back.

Shelby kept mentioning his return. Counting down the days and weeks till he could be rid of McKinley, but strangely enough he didn't want to. Maybe he was being dramatic but Jesse knew that some things were more important than his old allegiances.

Even if it meant more work and manipulation than he had ever done before he would make sure New Directions won. Because nothing was more important than winning. The only thing that even came close was Rachel. So he would make sure that they would win, for the both of them.

Because he was nuts about crazy Rachel Berry.

So nuts he had started a fist fight with the walking skyscraper that was Finn Hudson.

His face was bruised and his body sore but nobody sang to his girl like that and got away with it.

That's when he found himself leaving his advanced English class with another piece of homework that would take him all of 10 minutes to complete and strutting down the hall to her, "Rachel?"

She turned around and beamed at the sight of him leaning against the lockers. Her smile was infectious and he couldn't help but flash one right back.

"Hi Jesse", she offered a greeting as she placed her tiny hand on his bruised face as if stroking a delicate glass vase. Apparently satisfied she then retracted her palm and grinned completing the motion in silence.

He had a surprise for her and he had been planning on waiting till they were making out later that evening but as they stood grinning at each other like idiots it seemed like a better moment than any. He raised his finger to his lips to request silence as he closed her locker and led her into the empty choir room. Placing her on top of the piano he gently took her hands and smiled some more, just for good measure.

"Is something wrong?", she questioned with worry painted over her face.

"Quite the contrary. After the incident the yesterday I realized Hudson got one thing right with his little performance". He pulled out a long, velvet box from his bag and by the look on her face she hadn't worked out what was going on yet. "He at least made it blindingly obvious that you are my girl, and that's just the way I want it to be Rachel Berry, so if you'll have me I would be honored if you would wear this".

He opened the box to reveal a delicate gold bracelet connected by a gold band in the middle. Engraved on the band in beautiful script were the words, '_Jesses Girl_'.

She gasped dramatically placing a hand on her chest as if in the middle of a scene. Ever the performer.

He chuckled, "well?"

Before he knew it she had flung her arms around his neck, slipping off of the edge of the piano in the process, "oh Jesse, of course". She giggled as he removed the bracelet and attached it around her wrist. It was perfect.

"I know the term 'Jesses Girl' may imply that I think I own you Rachel but I only mean this bracelet to illustrate to the whole world that you are my girlfriend and that I couldn't be prouder of that fact".

She nodded understandingly, "And that we have overcome the odds to show a united front, the odds being both our glee clubs and a certain fight that I shall not mention".

He neglected to point out that by not mentioning it she had actually mentioned it. He also neglected to point out that the fight had been the exact reason he chose those words for the bracelet. He wanted Hudson to see that his little outburst had only made them stronger.

He hadn't planed on saying _it_ when he bought the bracelet but the look in her eyes as she skimmed her fingers over the words forced his actions. Her content smile only looked half as happy as he felt and so he felt it was only right that he shared some pertinent information with her.

"I love you Rachel".

She looked at him with a utter surprise written all over her face as he stood with nothing but confidence on his.

"Jesse, I... I'm so happy", and Jesse could see that she meant it and that was enough. Each day she glanced less and less at Hudson. Each day she gave more of herself to Jesse. It didn't matter that she hadn't said it back, yet. Because she would. He was Jesse St. James and she was Rachel Berry. They were like Romeo and Juliet, from different glee clubs but brought together by a epic love and to hell with the consequences.

And so it happened that Jesse sacrificed the stardom of the best glee club in the country to stay at McKinley, to stay at New Directions and to win with them.

Just because he had feelings for Rachel it does not mean he's messing with his UCLA scholarship with a loss at Nationals. Losing is never an option. Could he stress that enough?

It would not be easy. New Directions were a mess, they were nothing like the well oiled machine that was Vocal Adrenaline. But Jesse would have to make it happen.

He always found a way. Just like he was finding a way into Rachel's heart.

Shelby would not be happy with any of his decisions. Not at all.

-X-

Jesse sat listening the comical suggestions being offered to Tina to replace her Hot Topic look. Apparently she had been forbidden from dressing like a goth chick because the principal was scared of vampires or something.

The public school system really had gone downhill in some aspects.

She quipped about the communist nature of the ruling and Jesse suppressed a laugh.

"Guys we have a serious problem", Rachel walked into the room with ferocity in her eyes and performing what Jesse had labelled her 'power walk'.

"You know I have been doing some deep background on Vocal Adrenaline". She stated it like it was a matter of fact.

He raised a eyebrow at her unaware that it had been her personal project. He couldn't complain, his presence had been a combination of various reasons, one being sabotage, but he never suspected Rachel despite her similarities to him.

That little minx.

"Isn't that against the rules?", Artie asked pretending to care.

'Yes', Jesse thought to himself with a smug inner smirk.

"No, not at all. Or probably. Whatever. Anyway what I figured out, I rooted through the dumpsters behind the Carmel auditorium and I found EIGHTEEN empty boxes of christmas lights".

Tina looked sullen as she spoke, "oh no".

Jesse watched as the few others that had clocked on conveyed the same worry while Schuester sat clueless, as per usual.

"What?"

"They're doing Ga Ga", Kurt almost spat the words out.

Well Jesse could have told them that.

"It's over".

"Exactly", Rachel crossed her arms disparagingly.

Jesse had yet to say something and it had apparently gone unnoticed. As Kurt starting having what could only be described as a hissy fit Jesse thought to himself. Now would be a better time than any to show his new loyalties.

"...she's a perfect fit for them", Artie sighed.

"She's a perfect fit for anyone theatrical. There's plenty of that in this club".

Everyone turned to look at Jesse like they were seeing him for the first time. They seemed to be shocked that he was helping. Except Rachel who's look was only filled pride as her bracelet dangled from her still crossed arms.

"Exactly", Schuester clapped his hands together as he caught up. "We can kill two birds with one stone here guys. We can find a new look for Tina and find a competitive number for regionals. This week your assignment? Ga Ga".

Jesse was in two minds.

On one hand New Directions had to start somewhere if they were going to win nationals. On the other hand copying the favorites was hardly productive. He settled on the thought that progress was progress. He could begin leading them in the right direction from here on in. By leading he meant pushing them until they got their acts together and won.

Jesse spent the rest of practice making mental notes where he felt improvement was needed and how he would go about achieving it. His attention only wavered when he heard Mercedes talking to Rachel.

"Hey Miss Diva look at that bling!". He watched out of the corner of his eye as Rachel blushed a deep crimson while Mercedes held her wrist for a closer look.

"Jesses Girl", she read aloud and then he saw it. Finns head twitched in their direction but never actually moved towards the girls to let on that he was listening. But he was all the same.

"Controversial after the incident and all", Tina commented but still smiling at the gesture behind the jewelery. So that was the official label 'incident'.

Rachel nodded, "maybe but Jesse and I have no reason to hide our relationship. He is proud to walk the halls with me and I him".

There was a second twitch as Hudson tilted his head as unsubtly as was humanly possible.

Between that and Rachel's last comment Jesse doubted he would ever stop grinning.

As Rachel and the two other girls returned to their notes he heard Santana in the back comment, "RuPaul got jewelry? Guess she's not putting out then".

Brittany giggled and for the third and final time Finn twitched. Even from behind him Jesse could tell Finn was now the one with a huge grin on his face.

'Wasn't he supposed to be with the blonde teen pregnancy case anyway?' Jesse thought as he returned to critiquing the rest of the club again.


	6. Rachels Funk

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**I'm sorry about the wait guys. I've been mega ill. I got hit back with a sucker of a cold/chest infection thing. It's not that I can't write when I'm ill I just don't feel very inspired. Also it was hard to breathe and whatever. **_

_**And the whole making me wait till February for the Finchel make up is killing me. **_

_**Anyway thanks for reviews and story alerts as ever. Oh yes my dear readers it's a Rachel chapter again which does mean some delicious Berry St. James. **_

_**Did I say delicious? I meant GAH! I hate Berry St. James however it's required for the story. You'll see. **_

_**But just hold on dear readers. Eventual Finchel. Chant it with me. **_

_**Oh yeah as much as them not being together pains me, the 'look' at the end of the Christmas episode. Melted my heart. **_

_**-X-**_

Rachel ran through the hall like there was a fire. She could feel the adrenalin rushing through her system with every step and her hair was flying everywhere as she turned her head here and there, her eyes furiously searching the student body.

She had so far scoured the school for every member of Glee and had only one left to find.

Rachel had figured finding her boyfriend would be a little easier but supposed it was rare he wasn't with her between classes so her experience at finding him was in fact limited.

It was then that she spotted his perfectly styled hair over the crowd.

"Jesse!", she shouted while waving a hand in the air.

He turned at the sound of her voice but failed to see her. Curse her small stature.

"Rachel?", now he was pushing his way through the crowd.

Eventually they broke through and as he closed the gap she stared at him with extreme amounts of worry in her eyes.

"We have a serious problem", she began dragging him back the way she had came. She had to get him back to the auditorium.

She felt his weight pull against her hand. "Wait Rachel, what's going on?"

Rachel spun around and looked up into his cloudy blue eyes. She forced a smile knowing that in the next few minutes every fear she had about Jesses loyalty to New Directions, and more importantly to her, would be proven once and for all.

Because waiting in front of the rest of their glee club, in their auditorium, in their school, were Vocal Adrenaline. Jesses old team.

Jesses old life.

Rachel still, despite his move to McKinley, wasn't one hundred percent sure that he wouldn't laugh her off and run back to them. She had a vision of him dropping her hand dramatically, in slow motion of course, before joining them for a number which he would miraculously know.

The mental image was painful enough to watch in her head.

After all the heart ache she had suffered this year, pining over Finn, being led on by Finn, being kissed by and then ran away from by Finn all while his girlfriend was pregnant? Well after _all_ of that she had banked on her relationship with Jesse to be the solution. To be her heart ache cure.

While he didn't numb the pain completely she at least felt like her heart was a little safer with him. That was until Vocal Adrenaline showed up.

"It's Vocal Adrenaline. They're waiting for us, as the final members of New Directions, to join our team mates. I don't know why they're here but I can only assume it's for you".

She closed her eyes as she waited for him to skip off to join them in a perfect flourish, to drop her like she so expected to be dropped, to smirk and tell her it had all been a cruel joke at her expense in an effort to bring down her glee club.

But the longer she waited the more foolish she felt standing in the middle of the corridor with her eyes clenched shut while nothing happened.

She opened one eye cautiously to see a raised eyebrow on his knowing face.

"Rachel, I know why they're here", he sighed almost ruefully "and you need to be prepared for what you are about to see. It's Carmel school rules to funkify the competition before regionals. They're going to do a number that will be astounding with the intention of sending New Directions into a spiraling funk, the likes of which will crush the teams hopes and dreams in the crucial buffer before the competition".

She heard the sound coming from his lips as he spoke but her brain couldn't process the words as she tried to get over the fact that he was still holding her hand. She'd told him his old team were here. If ever he had the opportunity to leave now was it, his last chance before regionals.

And he hadn't taken it.

The warning he'd issued hadn't really sunk in. She just grinned and hugged him around his waist. She didn't care what he'd said, all she knew was right now Jesse didn't run, he didn't dump her for his old life and moreover he was hugging her back.

Rachel may not have been ready to say the three little words he'd previously uttered to her but right at that moment she felt safe in his arms. He would look after her, be there for her, he wouldn't string her along and he was most definitely proud of their relationship, rather than ashamed.

His lips didn't make hers tingle the way Finns had in that perfect kiss they'd once shared. Her heart didn't stop beating with Jesse like it did when Finn looked her in the eyes. She didn't write Mrs Rachel St. James in her notebook like she had once doodled Mrs Rachel Husdon.

But her heart did at least skip one or two beats when Jesse walked down the hall towards her. Her lips did at least miss the warmth of his when they pulled away and Rachel did have a growing sense of pride whenever she caught a glimpse of the delicate band hanging from her wrist.

Maybe it wasn't the same but it was enough. She cared about him and he had already told her he loved her which she was all the more able to believe now that she trusted him implicitly. In the last 5 minutes she had all the proof she needed that Jesse was not here to humiliate her for the sake of a competition.

She could face any funkification Vocal Adrenaline tried to serve them. They were Rachel Berry and Jesse St James. Their voices were the epitome of perfection, due in no small part to the years of training they both received from young ages. They are, in her opinion, the power couple of New Directions and nothing would stop them.

So Rachel Barbara Berry strutted back into the auditorium with a content grin and Jesse St James on her arm. Ignoring the hiss she was sure she heard from someone standing among Vocal Adrenaline, she stormed to the front of New Directions, the only proper place for a co captain.

Staring at the collective on stage Rachel placed a hand on her hip, mustered every ounce of diva in her system and opened her mouth to welcome the challenge they posed.

"I sincerely hope this won't take too much of our club's precious time as we still have to plan our set list for nationals, since it is blindingly obvious we will be wiping the floor with you at regionals".

She could only imagine the gaping mouths and wide eyed shock of the 12 people behind her whose stares she could feel burning a hole in the back of her head.

-X-

Rachel walked into the choir room early as ever but unusually alone.

It had been a long time since she had arrived early on her own, while Rachel and Jesse still arrived early for every practice they always arrived together.

She moved around the room slowly, enjoying the silence. She idly ran her hand along the smooth piano top and shuffled sheet music that had been carelessly left out before finally sitting down in the front row.

Rachel still hadn't thought of a funk number.

The brave heroics she had spearheaded at the Vocal Adrenaline debacle had not kept the majority of club from spiraling into the dreaded funk, especially when they returned to their sanctuary to find it decorated with toilet paper. Even Rachel had to admit that while their new male lead lacked the pitch perfection of Jesse, Vocal Adrenaline were collectively still a force to be reckoned with.

So here she found herself with a heavily pregnant Quinn performing a emotional funk number that nearly brought some of the members to tears while Rachel was having a hard time even coming up with one, let alone performing it with as much soul.

Just then a bumbling teenager in a leather jacket almost fell through the doorway.

"Finn?", she looked up from her seat disturbed from the thoughts plaguing her mind.

He was wearing a white vest, a black leather jacket and a obscene amount of fake looking jewelry. She thought he couldn't have looked more ridiculous, yet adorable, if he had tried.

"Rachel! I was hoping you wouldn't be here yet. Well I mean I know you're always here early but I was hoping you wouldn't be today. Where's Jesse?", she noted he tone of that last part as he noted the absence. Was that hope?

She brushed off imaginary lint from her skirt to avoid looking into his eyes, "he had to take a phone call from his parents today so he's running a little late. They arrange calls from Bali to speak to him as often as they can".

"Oh."

He began shuffling his foot around the floor apparently not wanting to ask anything else.

"So what's with the outfit?", she questioned hoping to fill the awkward silence.

He blushed and she had to resist giggling.

"Me and Puck are doing a number. Marky Mark. I was hoping to practice some of my dance moves before everyone gets here".

She couldn't hide the smile playing on her lips.

"You're going to be voluntarily dancing? I'm impressed Finn. Maybe you've grown as a leader a lot more than I was aware of".

"Erm yeah, well it's a really cool song and Puck is gonna do the hard stuff".

Rachel jumped up and took the CD Finn was holding from him. She practically skipped to the CD player and smiled a little evilly as she pressed play.

"So practice already".

He blushed again making it seem like he didn't fully recover from his first blush. The intro to the song was nearly over and Rachel had since returned to her seat waiting expectantly.

"Finn Hudson I am co captain of the glee club with you and I have seen you practice dancing before. I'd also like to add that you are intending to perform this in front of the entire club in 10 short minutes so you really need to address this stage fright now rather than later". She watched him squirm, nod and then assume position.

His face contorted as he began mumbling the words under his breathe, the concentration in his face apparent. She felt her foot tapping along to the beat as she realized she had heard the song before. She then wondered if they had understood the funk assignment.

However before she got a chance to question it further she actually watched the choreography and found herself impressed with his effort.

"Dude!"

Puck stormed in and nudged Finn in the shoulder jokingly but Finn took a step back to steady himself regardless. Puck turned to Rachel, "ok I don't know why Hudsons giving you a sneak preview but forget what you saw Berry, you need the full Funky Puck experience and Finny D doing solo moves without singing isn't gonna cut it".

She burst out laughing. She hadn't meant to but the serious look on his face sent her over the edge, between laughs she managed to splutter, "Funky Puck?" Finny D?"

Rachel tried desperately to control herself. She grabbed her sides and took long deep breathes. Slowly the giggles began to subside but she knew she couldn't look up at their matching outfits or confused faces for a few minutes.

She heard Puck turn the music off, "chicks don't get it. It took Mercedes longer than this to calm down in practice"

Rachel pretended she didn't hear that as the rest of the club started filing in.

"Ok guys", Mr Schue dropped his briefcase on the desk. "Jesse is running late and has kindly advised us to start without him so without further ado Finn and Puck have something they'd like to share with us"

Rachel dragged her eyes up to see Finn address the class.

"Mr Schue Puck and I would like to show the class the true meaning of Funk".

She didn't know what was cuter. The fact that Finns expression meant he had no idea he wasn't about to sing a funk number or the fact that he actually pulled off that leather jacket/white vest combo.

Rachel's phone buzzed in her pocket and Jesses voice singing just the word 'Hello' floated upwards as Mercedes jumped up to join the boys. If that hadn't of been Jesses personalized text message ringtone she would have ignored the gadget but she decided to peek quickly.

"Rachel. I will be there in 15 minutes. My parents had so many questions about the new woman in my life, they cant wait to meet you when they eventually return from Bali in the summer and to top it all off I found the perfect funk number for us to sing together x".

She paid special attention to Pucks choreography and Mercedes vocals for the duration of the number after that.


	7. Quinns Drama

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Hello my loves. **_

_**Sorry for the unexpected hiatus over the holidays. My step brothers are always here for the holidays and I miss them so and we try to pack so much in I genuinely just don't have the time. I should have warned you. Opps. **_

_**Anyway so we're just over half way through this half of the story (before our jump through time and space) so we're at the regionals. Sweet. **_

_**It's a Quinn chapter. Personally it felt like it was the only way. She has a damn baby, it's only fair she gets the chapter. **_

_**It's all baby drama and Quick ahoy and expect more frequent updates in general. I promise. Normal service resumes. **_

_**Ok so the next chapter will be regionals part II (kind of a meanwhile back at the competition scenario) but beyond that we will be following the timeline of the show and going to season 2 (but there will be mention of summer). **_

_**ALSO one last thing. As ever thanks for my reviews. I haven't really kept up with them over my illness and Christmas so I apologize. I do still read them and appreciate them and promise to get back on top of my life! So as ever I hope to hear some of your thoughts. **_

_**Much love. Live long and Finchel. **_

_**-X-**_

Quinn ran off stage grasping her baby bump as she went.

She was enjoying the adrenalin high that the entire club was experiencing. They were over the moon, on stage nothing had mattered, they'd put on the best show they could have. Who got solos? Duets? The choreography? They had been a team. New Directions had owned that stage. It was different from when Quinn had performed with the cheerios, they were a machine. New Directions was a family, Quinn was finally starting to see it. The way they accepted her when the cheerleaders gave up on her, how they looked after her.

It was awkward, it always would be. Puck still pined after her when Finn wasn't looking and on top of that Finn had got it into his thick skull that he could sing the dwarf straight out of Jesses arms and into his. While he was still pretending to be Quinns boyfriend.

He's earned a pretty black eye for that dumb move.

But in that small window of time on stage every drama the team had suffered had melted away.

Quinn giggled as she heard Rachel assure Tina, "screw that we are gonna win this!"

Then she heard a new voice. A familiar voice but unexpected voice.

"Quinne"

Quinn couldn't hide the confusion in her face as she realized who was standing in front of her.

"Mom? What are you doing here? Is Dad ok?"

Her mothers voice was laced with happiness and pride as she spoke, "I came to hear you sing. You were wonderful. I'm so sorry I missed all the other times you performed. Were there a lot?"

Quinn was speechless. The mother who had allowed her to be expelled from her home was standing in front of her apparently looking for forgiveness.

"I left your father"

The words washed over her as she tried to process what it meant for the family she had once belonged to.

"I kicked him out actually. He was having an affair with some... eh... tattooed freak"

Quinn felt a unfamiliar ache spread through through her abdomen as her mother continued to prattle.

"Quinne, I want you to come home with me. I can turn the guest room into a nursery"

She felt a wetness overcome her, it had been the one sensation of childbirth she'd been sure she would be able recognize when it happened.

"Oh sweetie say something?" her mother begged unaware of her daughters current state.

"My water just broke".

She gripped her stomach as the ache turned into pain. She was expecting it, she'd been told what a contraction felt like and she had tried to prepare for it.

However Quinn was not prepared for it.

Her mother started panicking like only she can. Taking charge and ordering people about while somehow still slightly hyper ventilating.

Quinn was now surrounded by the glee club. All of them trying to be involved. She lifted her head to look at them all as she recovered from the pain.

Mercedes was the first to say anything that made any sense, "give the girl some room people, she's having a damn baby".

Quinn breathed a sigh of relief as everyone took one step back and she offered a thankful look to the girl who had become an unexpected but truly loyal friend.

Regardless Finn pushed through, fell to his knees in front of her and with the look of a child who had just been thrown in the deep end muttered, "what do I do?"

"Well that's obvious dude, just do whatever she tell you to!", Puck said as a matter of fact.

Quinn looked up at Puck and had never doubted her choice to choose Finn over him so much. That one sentence, although not exactly rocket science, described perfectly what she wanted.

Do everything she says because she is preparing to push a small human out from inside her.

Mr Schue finally made himself heard over the panic, "Ok guys I know everyone wants to come but somebody needs to stay here and represent the team".

Bickering broke out which was silenced by Rachel, "well as co captain I would feel it my responsibility to stay and allow those who are needed at the hospital to be there"

"And of course I'll stay", Jesse chimed grabbing her hand.

Quinn heard Finn mumble "Thanks Rachel" before blushing and returning his gaze to Quinn. She didn't even have time to care who was coming or staying, or if Finn had looked at Rachel. Nothing else mattered except getting to the hospital and Quinn did not think it was happening fast enough.

Following that thought she then found herself being scooped up and taken to a car, that was more like it. The cries and worries of the rest them had become white noise to Quinn, she focused on breathing. That's what she'd been taught, just to breathe. It had seemed stupid at the time but it was actually harder that it looked.

"Puckerman what are you doing?" Quinn heard Santana screech breaking her concentration as Puck held the door open to her mothers car and slipped in with Finn and her in the back.

Mercedes was sitting in the front with her Mom so it wasn't obscenely weird that he was in the car. Then again from Puck any public display of caring about anyone other than himself probably looked weird.

"Going to the hospital, duh!" he replied as her Mom pulled the car away at great speed and the bus screeched to life behind them for the rest of the Glee club to follow.

Finn was holding her hand. His hands felt like a hundred degrees and she slipped her other hand into Pucks. His hand was amazingly cool which felt such a relief.

If Finn was about to question the move he didn't get a chance as it seemed to make sense in the next moment. She suddenly gripped both of their hands and clamped down on them almost as if to steady herself as she braced for the next contraction.

Mercedes said soothing things from the front and her mother screamed things like, "just hold on Quinne" and "move out of the way you idiot my daughter is having a baby".

Quinn did get her temper from her Mom.

Eventually they made it to the hospital and Puck backed out and held a hand to help her. Finn ran around the car to grab her other hand and there she was. Being helped by both Finn and Puck. Still stuck in the middle of them both.

The awkward moment however was when Puck grabbed a wheelchair for her and readied himself to push it as Quinn sat in it.

"Dude can I kinda push the mother of my baby to the delivery room?", Finn asked.

Puck looked down at Quinn for a second and despite the devil may care look on his face she saw sadness in his eyes.

She put her hand on his hand and tried to convey apologies back to him through her eyes, "Puck I think Finn can handle it from here".

Quinn actually felt a pang of regret. Puck was about to be a dad and unable to show it.

Then again he didn't have to push the baby out first.

Reality consumed her again as the bus arrived with the rest of the club and Puck stepped aside for Finn to take the reign.

"Why are we just standing here? Move people move!", Mercedes shouted.

The jamboree took off through the hospital looking like a garbled mess of people. All shouting and panicking. Quinn felt the contractions flood over her faster and faster.

"Stop!" she demanded almost as much to the contractions as to the people around her.

The chair screeched to halt.

"I want Mercedes with me too".

Mercedes had a flash of fear in her face before gulping and nodding.

There was only one other person Quinn wanted in the delivery room but all she could do was offer him a sad smile as she was wheeled away.

Quinn grabbed the scrubs of the first medical person she saw as she was wheeled in like a prize pumpkin.

"I want you to give me all the drugs you have. ALL OF THEM".

-X-

Quinn sat in her hospital gown basking in the silence.

Her mother had gone to coo over 'Baby Hudson-Fabray', Finn had gone to get some air or maybe vomit she didn't really know or care, it wouldn't be long before the facade with him was over anyway. Mercedes had insisted on going to the hospital shop to buy Quinn something although Quinn highly doubted she would find anything other than skittles and newspapers.

She was exhausted. That was the only word to describe it. No matter how magical it had felt to hold that tiny baby girl in her arms it had still exhausted her. And instead of the natural maternal instinct Quinn just felt knots of fear eating away at her.

Quinn Fabray was in no fit state to be a mother. Despite the offer of help from her mother she couldn't do it. She wanted to, in the back of her mind she knew she loved her little bundle of baby but she just couldn't. Her options well null and void.

Option one, of course Finn would be no help. He would try but Quinn would no longer be able to ignore the fact that he was obviously interested in man hands. She couldn't condemn herself to 18 years in a fake relationship. Or 18 years with a weekend dad for her daughter.

Option two, well it wasn't worth discussing. She certainly wasn't going to go ahead and raise her alone.

And Puck? Puck wasn't even an option. It would destroy everything if people found out now.

No one would trust her ever again.

Quinn may have been selfish. She may have been conceited and well frankly a bit of a bitch sometimes but even she knew that what she had done was horrible.

Truly monstrous.

She had chosen Finn to be the father of her baby, to support her throughout the pregnancy and to give up the baby he wanted to raise, when he wasn't even the baby daddy.

Quinn felt dirty just thinking about it. She was in way too deep. She could only imagine what everyone would do.

Finn and Puck would actually kill each other. Quinn herself would probably be stoned or something. She doubted even glee club would forgive a lie of such epic proportions. Not when she had taken it _so_ far.

Not when Finn had been the one to hold her hand all this way, to be with her in the delivery, to actually hold the baby.

She had condemned one more person than was necessary to suffer the heartbreak of giving up a baby.

A knock at the door startled Quinn into opening her eyes, which were slowly closing as she thought about her sins.

"Quinn?"

The mohawk came through the door first.

"Puck? What are you doing in here?"

He made air quotes, "I came to see how you are".

Puck moved to sit in the chair by her bed. She sighed looking at the boy, wondering what could have been.

In the blink of an eye Puck seemed like the one person she most needed to talk to.

"Listen Puck, I'm actually glad you came in. I wanted to say something and well I want you to shut up and listen".

"Shoot baby mama"

Her eyes flashed to the door to ensure no one was there to hear that, or to hear what she had to say.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I never trusted you to be the one. To be the father. I should have given you a shot Puck, you deserved it. I don't deserve forgiveness or anything, so I'm not asking for it. What's done is done. I made a really stupid choice based on who I thought would help me stay popular and well... It should have been you. I'm giving up this baby now based on that fact that I can't raise her with Finn. I'm not saying me and you could of but, I'm sorry that we'll never know".

He laughed, "that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard".

She stared, dumbstruck, "what?"

"Me? The safe bet? Baby, I'm a idiot. Finn is a idiot too, no doubt, but neither of us was cut out for this. Yeah I wish I'd of been there for you cause hell that baby girl is mine. Not his. But whatever, you made your choice and I had to accept it. In some ways I even understood it. My baby mama had to do what was best for her and I can relate. The Puckster is all about looking after number one. It's a dog eat dog world Fabray. And I know that this confession thing is important for you christian girls but you don't have to apologize".

She looked down to her lap, "why are you being so nice to me after..."

Puck cut her off with three words. "I've seen her".

Quinn smiled up at him, at the look in his eyes. "And?"

"She is beautiful, like you. And tiny. She's got my lips", he pouted and winked at her, "but she's got your eyes. She's amazing".

Quinn didn't know what to say. She hadn't planned the apology but him walking in seemed like fate and now Noah Puckerman was saying all the right things to please her drug addled mind. The look of sincerity on his face only fuelled her cloudy judgements.

"I don't know what to say", she admitted.

"Don't say anything else just let me know if I've still got a shot after babygate is over because... well because I did love you Quinn. I do now more than ever".

Before Quinn could reply he jumped up from his chair, swooped in and kissed her. Hard. She had to catch her breathe when he pulled away but before she could think of her response she heard the creek of the door and caught sight of some chocolates and a teddy bear.

Quinn made no attempt to hide the blush in her cheeks, "Hi Mercedes"


	8. Finns Frustration

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Ahhh regionals part II. **_

_**So it's a Finn chapter. **_

_**I actually have several drafts of this chapter as a Jesse one, a Puck one, a Rachel one. None of them worked, they all sucked.**_

_**Finn was the only way to go.**_

_**So yeah anyway it's a bit of a roller coaster at times going between one thing and another but hell poor Finn just had his entire school year explode all over one afternoon. It's tough! Also I realise in two Finn chapters he has got a bit violent but lets be fair, Jesse started it last time and this time well you'll see. **_

_**I'm rambling now I can tell. Thanks for the reviews guys. Oh yeah I know I said next chapter is second season but I'm gonna have one chapter over the summer. Maybe. I've just got this idea for a summer chapter bumbling about. But if it doesn't happen then yes we'll be on season 2. Either way season 1 for this story is done and dusted with this chapter. **_

_**See you next update darlings, as ever much love. **_

_**-X-**_

Finn stood in the entrance to the hospital taking in large gulps of air.

He had tried to be ok with what would happen today, he had tried to accept that Quinn had made up her mind.

But holding that baby girl in his arms had been something else.

She so small. He was 6'3. It seemed like a impossible combination. Like the room would explode from them being together.

But there she was, now sitting in the plastic thing with all the other babies. Wrapped up in her pink blanket waiting for her new family to come along and pick her.

He turned to walk back into the hospital to see her, mindless wandering the halls.

It actually hurt to think about.

But Finn had known it was coming. He had to keep telling himself.

He knew she would never be his drizzle. And it was made a little easier by the fact that she looked so much like Quinn.

Which was good because Finn couldn't imagine that he'd be a pretty girl himself so it was probably best she didn't look like him. Or maybe he just couldn't see himself in her because everything about him was like a giant compared to her.

But still Quinn had hurt him, he hadn't been happy with Quinn. So that eased the pain of giving up his baby like a teeny tiny bit.

Finn sighed just thinking about it when he heard his name.

"Well you better make sure you tell Finn before he finds out from someone else and pummels you that much harder".

There was only one guy who talked in such a high voice. But who exactly did Kurt think Finn was gonna beat up?

He rounded the corner to see Kurt standing, hands on hips, lecturing Puck who was standing at the viewing window looking at baby drizzle.

No, baby Hudson-Fabray. She was baby Hudson-Fabray, Finn reminded himself.

"Puck? Kurt?"

Kurt looked up first and Finn was curious as to why Kurt looked so damn scared.

"I've got to go, Mercedes is waiting for me to fix her hair again before we have to go back to the competition. I'll leave you two to talk", before Finn could say anything Kurt was gone.

Puck however didn't move.

Finn walked up to him and clapped a hand on his back, "she's amazing, right?"

"Yeah, looks just like her mom", Puck smiled.

"So what am I gonna beat you up about when I find out?", Finn punched his arm playfully not catching Pucks comment.

Puck turned to look at Finn. He looked like he did after he stopped dumping dweebs into dumpsters, all sorry and regretful.

Finn was getting worried, he hadn't thought the conversation was serious. What could be that bad? He may not be keeping her but Finn was still over the moon, he'd just had a beautiful baby girl.

"Dude I've gotta tell you something"

Finn saw something click in his expression and Pucks usual look of not caring retuned to his face, "I kissed Quinn about 10 minutes ago".

Puck had always been to the point but he didn't exactly sugar coat the news.

"What?", Finn managed to say past clenched teeth.

Puck paused after each word, "I. Kissed. Quinn."

"No I heard what you said douche, why would you do that? We just had a baby!"

Pucks face curled up in some painful expression before quickly evening out.

"She told me you were faking, she said that you broke up with her weeks ago".

"So you jump her hours after she's had my baby?"

Finn didn't know when he started shouting but he was. Every word Puck was saying was true but Finn was still getting mad. His fist was already clamped tightly, waiting.

"Whatever dude, you're not even with her she's free to kiss whoever she wants"

"YOU SAID YOU KISSED HER!", each word echoed down the long corridors and people were starting to stare, hospital employees were beginning to investigate and the rest of New Directions watched in horror.

All too quickly Finns fist locked with Pucks jaw with a resounding crunch. Puck stepped back to steady himself but instead landed on one of the plastic chairs attached to the wall.

He couldn't look at him anymore, his best friend had betrayed him. Fake girlfriend or not Quinn had just had a baby.

Finns baby.

Finn looked at his little girl and to his horror he realized what had just happened in front of her. The security guards were now making their way to the scene and attempting to retrain Puck who was now resisting the guards and the nurse who was trying to check his jaw.

A few guards made their way to Finn but he pushed past them. He began walking back to the exit, he had to get out. He'd just punched Puck in front of his baby, because Puck had kissed Quinn who he himself had dumped weeks ago.

Today wasn't exactly what Finn imagined it would be when he was getting ready for regionals this morning.

Finn heard Pucks voice behind him as he walked away.

"Yeah well guess what dude I've got news for you..."

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT PUCK!", Finn turned and saw Quinn standing in her pink robe and slippers walking slowly down the hall. He watched as she reached Puck who was being held back by 3 guards and a male nurse. She gently placed a hand on his arm and encouraged him to sit down while she had a whispered conversation with him.

The sight of them together felt like the reality check he'd been trying to avoid all day.

He stormed out into the cool air.

There was only one person who he wanted to talk to, who could make sense of everything for him, but he would have to find a way back to the competition first.

-X-

Finn trudged off of the bus first. Everyone had given him a wide breathing room on the way back. Even Mr. Schue had resisted from talking to him.

Through overheard gossip and the fact that they had left without him Finn had found out that Puck decided to stay at the hospital with Quinn.

Figures.

Some friend he turned out to be. Jumping his (fake) girlfriend first chance he got.

As he walked into the green room singing on stage seemed like it had been a million years ago.

That's when Finn laid eyes on Rachel her hands in Jesses while he said soothing things to her. She looked calm but he caught words from Jesse like, "it's her loss" and "you think you need her Rachel but you don't".

He didn't make a noise but somehow they sensed his presence because the next thing he knew Rachel jumped up to look at him, "Finn! How's the baby? I thought you would have stayed at the hospital. What happened to you? You look terrible".

Somehow her mile a minute speech calmed him a little and brought out a crooked half smile.

"Rachel do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?"

Jesse eyed Finn suspiciously but she placed a hand on his chest and whispered, "just give us a minute Jesse".

They walked back out through the corridor to the parking lot passing the rest of the team as they went into the green room, no doubt to gossip.

She turned to him and in the daylight he noticed how pink her eyes were but the rest of her face was smiling welcomingly and she made no move to talk about _her_ afternoon, "what can I do for you Finn?"

"Rachel I know we haven't talked in a while, not really since you started dating Jesse but I need to talk to you... well I know that you of all people will tell me the truth. You'll call me on being a jerk and stuff and I need to tell you something..."

"Is this about Quinn? Did something happen at the hospital?"

He nodded and proceeded to tell her the whole story. Including breaking up with Quinn and her giving up the baby. He left out the parts in his arguments with Quinn that mentioned her.

"... and then I walked away. I just couldn't stand looking at them. I mean I don't love Quinn or anything but I was so mad and Puck kissed her Rachel. He kissed her an hour after she'd had my baby".

Finn didn't know why it was so easy to talk to Rachel but he figured it probably had something to do with the fact that she didn't pull a face and judge him as he talked. She just kinda looked thoughtful the whole way through.

After what must have been like 5 minutes she spoke, slowly and carefully.

"Finn, did you ever consider that perhaps you were so angry because Quinn moving on, no matter how bad the timing was, forced you to accept that you have to give up drizzle? You don't have romantic feelings for Quinn but you were still relying on your fake relationship because as long as you were still faking it with Quinn you still had time before giving up being a Father?"

Finn let out the air he didn't realize he'd been holding on to. One long breathe escaped him as he caught the gist of what she was saying. And the gist of it kinda made sense.

"Drizzle?"

She blushed, "you mentioned once that you liked that name and I have to agree it's kind of cute and suits any daughter of yours".

He felt relieved having gotten it off his chest and having figured out his anger somewhat.

Rachel could totally calm him down and sum him up in 30 seconds or less. It must have been why he thought of her first after leaving the hospital.

Nothing to do with how good she looked with her hair like that today.

Finn sighed again. He'd done it so much today he was starting to feel like a old man. But talking about it all, he felt like the weight and anger had been lifted.

Looking at Rachel he knew he couldn't hold off asking any longer.

"Have you been crying Rach?"

She looked up and Finn saw the sadness in her face. It made him want to wrap her up in his arms.

"I spoke to my mother today"

Finn was clueless as to what to say. She hadn't discussed this with him ever. He only knew about her mom because Mercedes announced it to glee club one afternoon.

The silence hung between them but not uncomfortably. They just accepted it, each now lost in their own thoughts.

"Guys we've gotta be on stage in a few minutes", Mr. Schue appeared with a smile before disappearing again.

She stood up from the small wall they had ended up sitting on and he laughed.

"What?", she questioned.

"Standing up you are the same height as me when I'm sitting on this wall"

She gasped in mock horror and slapped his arm, the mood instantly lightened by his comment, "Finn Hudson this is no time for you to mock my height".

He smiled playfully as he stood up and got a head start to go back inside, "let me know when is a good time then Rach".

She jogged to keep up with his long strides and Finn felt like maybe he could be friends with Rachel again. He had spent so long wrapped up with babygate and having 'showdowns' with Jesse for Rachel that he had somewhere along the way forgotten to be Rachels friend.

He tried to put his finger on why when she ran back to Jesse who leaned in and whispered something in her ear.

Oh yeah the feeling of wanting to punch Jesse every time he touched Rachel. Maybe that was why.

"Well let's go see Vocal Adrenaline get kicked the the curb" Finn attempted to break the silence but kept his eyes locked on Jesse as a few of them laughed and relaxed and they all walked to the stage.

He followed Mr. Schue out and jumped in the back.

He looked down at the other two teams before taking a long hard look at everyone on his team.

They all looked as nervous as he felt.

Sue Sylvester was talking but it seemed like miles away.

Then suddenly the team in white were jumping up and down.

Oral Intensity just placed.

And then there were two.

It was worse than running the last play at a football game. He was doing something then, here he was just standing, waiting.

He'd never wanted to win as bad as he did right now. Mr. Schue said it wasn't about winning and he'd have been right if wining didn't mean stupid Vocal Adrenaline and their stupid coach getting what they deserved.

Losing.

In the last minute or so Finn had decided he wanted them to lose more than anything.

He wanted Rachel's stupid mom to lose and be all sad and realize that whatever she'd said to Rachel was the biggest mistake ever.

But somehow it felt like he would be the loser today.

They moved closer to Vocal Adrenaline who seemed to be refusing to look their way.

Finn just felt Mr. Schue pat him on the back as Finn closed his eyes. Because if he didn't look then it wouldn't hurt so bad when they lost, right?

"And now your 2010 Midwest Regional Show Choir Champions..."

Time slowed down he was sure of it.

Each heartbeat took a lifetime.

Finn was sure he could actually hear the scraping of the card as it was taken from the fancy envelope.

Why was it taking so long?

"New Directions"

Finn opened his eyes to see his team screaming louder than he'd ever heard. Rachel, Mercedes, Tina and he was sure Kurt were actually sobbing as they jumped up and down. Mr. Schue hadn't moved, Finn thought he might have blacked out or something but just standing up.

Jesse picked Rachel up and spun her around at the front of the stage before fist pumping the air. Josh Groban actually had to dodge them to hand the trophy to Mr. Schue.

Finn had a thousand thoughts running through his head at once which he summed up by shouting "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

That noise expressed it all.

And then he looked over at the losing team. The girls were sobbing hysterically and black make up was dripping from their eyes with the tears. The guys were either staring daggers at Jesse or else placing comforting arms around the girls. Shelby just stared blankly at the third place trophy in her hand.

Finn didn't want to be a sore winner so he just nodded solemnly to a few of the guys before giving Mike Chang the big tens. He turned to hive five Artie but found a pair of arms wrap themselves around him as Rachel hugged him out of nowhere.

Like a hug ninja.

He returned the sentiment and placed his arms around her. She looked up and smiled at him before slipping away all too quickly to hug the next member of New Directions.

He instantly missed the feeling of holding her close to him but barely had time to acknowledge it as the celebrations continued among them.

Before Finn knew it they were back on the bus, someone had found some streamers that were now everywhere. The girls were performing 'We Are the Champions' and 'Eye of the Tiger' in front of the bus while the guys sat in the back.

Artie called out over the noise, "hey Finn want a picture of you holding the trophy above your head?"

He laughed as he took it in his hands, "I guess _another_ one won't hurt".


	9. Rachels Summer

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**I'll keep this short and sweet. So I ran away with this chapter a bit but it's the first one I've written not based around a episode. Also I decided to do one for summer so enjoy the bumper chapter between season 1 and season 2.**_

_**Anyway let me know what you think because I kinda like this chapter.**_

_**See you next update my darlings.**_

_**-X-**_

Rachel Berry looked at herself in the mirror.

The floaty material of the dress she was wearing had a etherial looking effect but she supposed it had flexibility which would help their choreography for tomorrow.

Slipping out of the dress she carefully hung it in the hotel wardrobe before putting on some PJ's.

It was important to have a full nights rest before a competition.

Rachel was clambering into one of the soft beds as the door clicked open.

"What the hell are you doing in bed?"

Rachel smiled at the girl standing in the doorway, "I'm a performer Mercedes. All performers know the value of a good nights sleep before a show. Especially a_ national _competition".

Mercedes made her way over to the bed Rachel was tucking herself into and sat on the edge.

"Diva to diva you can be annoying at times". Rachel scoffed as Mercedes continued. "...but we are still a team. And right now the team is all in Finn and Pucks room having a pre show party. Even your man candy is there".

"Jesse agreed to join me in the hotel gym tomorrow morning at 6:30, if he chooses to limit his sleep to party tonight on his head be it but I insist on getting my 8 hours".

"Uh uh. I INSIST that you get up and come with me right now. Putting your crazy aside for one night won't kill you. I'd never thought I'd say this but... it won't be the same without you".

Rachel searched for sarcasm in the girls expression but failed to find any. She looked longingly at the pillow before turning back to Mercedes and sighed defeated. "Fine but you are my room mate so you will have to suffer the wrath of a under slept Rachel Berry in the morning".

Mercedes cringed and painted a painfully forced smile on her face, "I look forward to it".

Rachel stomped to the wardrobe flicking through her clothes.

She had been most distressed when Mercedes made it clear she intended on living out of her suitcase, only hanging up the dress she would be wearing for the competition. Rachel continued to bite back the shock after then finding out Mercedes had only brought 4 outfits for the 2 and a half day trip.

Rachel had brought 9 outfits (not including her competition dress) which were all hung carefully in the wardrobe.

Just in case.

She quickly picked out a red and white polka dot dress and some red pumps and slipped into the bathroom to change.

Rachel came out a few minutes later and found Mercedes making Rachel's bed again.

"Just in case you change your mind Miss Bossy Pants. And don't tell Kurt but that dress is actually quite cute"

"Thank you Mercedes. Do we have time for me to stop by the hotel shop downstairs? I hate to go to a party empty handed".

"What? No, I've wasted enough time coming to get you. If it makes you feel any better we can say you're _my_ gift to the party".

Nodding Rachel walked out of the room and tried to hide her surprise when she heard it close behind her and Mercedes slipped a arm through hers.

"So crazy how are things going with you and Jesse St. Jealous?"

"St. Jealous?"

"Yeah as in I'm totally jealous. I know we all gave you a hard time at first but I've gotta hand it to him he's made a real effort to be part of glee club. And it turned out he wasn't a Vocal Adrenaline spy".

Rachel smiled into the distance, "he's great. I'm not looking forward to him going away to college but I think we'll make it work"

She began to drift into her own thoughts when Mercedes nudged her, "we're here".

Mercedes knocked on the door and Rachel thought the knock sounded vaguely like 'Don't Stop' and went on a bit too long for a regular knock.

"See I told you the secret knock thing would be totally badass", Puck said as he opened the door up for them. "Wow you actually got Berry to come. Impressive Beyonce"

"And why exactly was everyone so sure that I wouldn't come?" reprimanding Puck with a slap on the arm for his assumption as she entered.

Mercedes ran over to Kurt before turning around and loudly proclaiming, "because I had to get you to change out of your PJ's, that's why".

"And because you lectured us all on the importance of a routine 8 hours sleep before a competition on the way here", Santana chimed from her huddle with Brittany.

Rachel ignored them. She knew she was right and that they would all suffer, including herself, in the morning. Looking around, the room seemed cramped compared to hers but that may have been as there were 13 teenagers crammed inside of this one.

"Hay Rach you made it!" Finn said eagerly as she made eye contact with him. "Let me get you a drink"

Rachel then saw Jesse appear from the other side of the room, "Rachel I got you a bottle of water as I knew it would be all you're willing to drink the night before a show".

She poked a finger into his chest dramatically as Finn slinked away, "yes it is all I'll drink. I'd like to do something right tonight especially since I have a 6:30 date with my boyfriend in the gym tomorrow morning, and I was planning on being asleep right now but I was told you were here".

He turned away from Rachel to look at Mercedes, shaking his head dramatically, "I told you _not_ to use me being here as bait to get Rachel".

"The only problem there is I just saw you giving Mercedes the thumbs up". She quipped as the two laughed.

Rachel slinked past Artie and Tina to find Finn again who was leaning against one of the windows, "you ok Finn?"

He broke his gaze away from his drink for a moment and sincerely replied, "yeah better, thanks Rach, but hey don't worry about me, you're singing lead tomorrow remember?"

"Yes but nerves are something I quashed from my system years ago. And I'm here if you need to talk Finn but take some comfort that this little soiree you and Noah have arranged is actually quite impressive on short notice".

He stood up with what Rachel thought was a little more confidence and flashed her a half smile, "just call me the party master".

Somewhere in the background Puck shouted, "as much as we can under the rules of this boring ass hotel, let's get this party started".

Music started playing and Quinn yelled, "turn it down Puckerman, if you get my speakers confiscated I'll kill you!"

Rachel giggled. The two of them had been both inseparable and insufferable since regionals. It had hit Finn pretty hard at first but eventually he conceded that he couldn't stay mad, he'd dumped her first because he didn't love her.

And as far as he'd told Rachel it was hard enough giving up a baby without being mad at his best friend as well.

"Will you be joining me for a dance milady?", Jesse appeared again holding his arm to her.

She placed a hand on her chest feigning surprise, "Good sir I thought you'd never ask".

Rachel smiled once more at Finn before being led to the center of the room to dance with Jesse. She looked up at him and grinned. Reaching up on her tip toes she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Of course she was forgetting she was in the middle of the rest of the glee club.

"Ooooooooooo" was the collective noise that reached her ears.

"Oh shut up!" she said not even looking in their direction.

-X-

Rachel's bag sat packed by the door. It had been there since the day before.

They weren't due to board the coach for another hour.

Mercedes banged on the door to their room.

"Listen little miss diva pants you had better open this door right now! I left my card key in there and I know you're in there. Open up!"

Rachel didn't move an inch, her face was still buried in the pillow which was now damp with tears.

"Rachel please! We've got like an hour and I haven't packed anything"

The pleading in her voice triggered the responsible voice in Rachel's head, it forced her to look at Mercedes side of the room that was indeed in disarray.

For a moment she wondered how she had got Mercedes as a room mate. The girl was almost as disorganized as Finn or Puck.

With silent sobs still racking her body she shuffled over to the door, lazily pulling down the handle she opened the door an inch before turning to shuffle back to her bed.

Before she got there however she was spun around by Mercedes, "wait a minute. I had to sleep in Kurt's room and you left me outside for..."

Not only was Mercedes there but Kurt stood with his packed case by her side and both of them gasped when they saw the state Rachel Berry had gotten herself into.

Rachel didn't wear a lot of make up but the small amount of mascara she did wear was running down her cheeks. She was still in her dress from the competition the day before. Her eyes had bags under them from a lack of sleep as well as being red and puffy from the crying. If they opened her suitcase they would actually see nothing was packed but rather shoved in at great force and left by the door. She was a wreck.

She made no move to speak but instead wriggled free from Mercedes now relaxed grasp and successfully made it back to her one true friend, the pillow she'd cried into all night.

"Honey" Mercedes cooed as she rushed over to rub her back.

Kurt made his way to the other side of the bed, "Rachel I know we lost but it had nothing to do with you. I don't say this often Rachel but you were perfect. Your duet with Jesse was sublime".

She had stopped crying for a moment to listen until Kurt mentioned Jesse, she then doubled over into more sobs.

His was the last name she wanted to hear.

No one in the room had noticed but the door was still open, the commotion inside the room attracted the attention of Finn and Artie who were coming down the corridor, "Oh great we were just looking for you Kurt, Artie was wondering if you packed his..."

Rachel looked up to see Finn and Artie pull shocked faces at her appearance.

She felt like a side show. Her face couldn't have been that bad but everyone had looked at her like she was hideous, and now she had a audience to her theatre of pain.

She ran to the bathroom before anyone could stop her and locked the door.

She heard rushed mumbling outside the door and made out Kurt saying, "I don't know I even complimented her performance but she just got worse after that".

A knock on the bathroom door.

"Rachel, honey, can you let just me in?"

Rachel considered it for a moment and came to the conclusion she had to speak to someone, she surely couldn't get on the bus like this. She slid the door open so Mercedes could get in.

Rachel was curled up against the tiled wall and Mercedes slid down next to her, one arm around her small shoulders and some tissues in her other hand.

"This is not the diva I know. Rachel Berry doesn't cry like this over some competition"

"It's not about the competition Mercedes. I can deal with losing the competition, I know that I now have another year to focus completely on polishing everyones skills so when we return next year there is no doubt in our minds that we will win. This is about Jesse".

"What did that fool do?"

Rachel leaned her head on her knees which were bunched into her chest.

"We had a fight after the competition. We both got pretty mad, we started talking about him at UCLA next year. He said if he hadn't of moved here for me he'd have a national championship by now and that I hadn't even said I loved him yet and that maybe coming here to be with me was a waste of time and that how could we go the distance while he's at school if we haven't even had sex and he called me a prude and a bitch and he said I was using him and... and..."

Rachel became more and more incoherent as she recited the argument to Mercedes, eventually doubling over in more sobs and grabbing tissues from Mercedes to attempt to control them.

She didn't want to be this uncontrolled, this helpless and pathetic but in his anger Jesse had said some things that... well Rachel thought things had got pretty far. And at this point she didn't even know if she had a boyfriend anymore.

She didn't even know if she wanted a boyfriend anymore.

The sound of wood slamming on wood made both of them snap their heads up. Forgetting themselves they jumped up and rushed into the room only to find Kurt on the floor by the door and Artie in the corner looking terrified.

"Finn heard...", Artie's eyes flashed momentarily to Kurt, "what Jesse said about Rachel. He got a bit... mad".

Rachel ran out the open hotel room door that had apparently been slammed against the wall. She couldn't see Finn anywhere but instinctively ran for Jesses room. She ran the two flights up not bothering to wait for the elevator and stopped to catch her breathe at the top. She still had the tissues in her hand and furiously rubbed her eyes as she ran down the empty corridor.

She reached 319 with no sign of the door being kicked in, she knocked afraid of what she'd find.

All she saw was a sullen Jesse whose eyes brightened the moment he saw her.

"Rachel I..."

Rachel upon seeing Finn wasn't there promptly turned on her heel and walked away.

She knew he was safe from a fist fight, it did not mean she was ready to talk to the jackass.

She was so upset she was cussing in her inner monologue.

_He_ made her cuss in her inner monologue.

"Please wait!" he called. She didn't turn around but she did stop.

"Rachel Barbara Berry please find it in your wonderful, generous heart to forgive me. I was a fool. I let my competitive nature cloud my judgement and allowed my most insecure thoughts to the surface. I don't deserve you but please Rachel, please accept this apology. I know you haven't said it and I don't care, I don't care about anything I said last night, I LOVE YOU RACHEL".

Rachel was actually burning up with anger rather than sadness at this point.

How dare he apologize and expect her to forget all of the awful things he'd said.

She turned, marched up to him. She raised her hand and slapped him with all of her might.

"You expect me to fall over myself to forgive you now do you? You expect me to blush and giggle and fawn all over you on your knees begging for forgiveness and just forget all of the horrendous things you said and move on? Get on the coach and go back to Lima like nothing happened? What happens in a month when you leave for school and we have this argument again Jesse? Or is that it? We're only going to last while you're at UCLA if I do it with you before you leave?"

She looked at his stunned face and didn't know what to feel. She walked away with her head held high as he called after her.

She walked back to her room where Kurt was sitting on Mercedes case while Mercedes tried to close it.

"Rachel how are you, did you find Finn?"

"No".

Rachel grabbed the extendable arm of her case and began wheeling it out of the room not caring that she was still in her competition dress with make up staining her face.

She walked to reception and was unsurprisingly the first one there, even heartbroken Rachel was early.

She decided to sit outside because at this point, who cared what she looked like?

Making herself comfortable on a bench in the pick up area outside she saw a tall figure across the parking lot.

"Finn!" she shouted.

He jogged over surprisingly quickly, "Rachel what are you doing here?"

"I'm just waiting for the coach to get here and I figured maybe a bit of fresh air was just what I needed. Where did you go after you left our room?"

"I just came down here actually. I thought fresh air might calm me down, I knew if I went to see Jesse I'd kill him for saying that stuff about you", she raised a eyebrow and he explained quickly, "Cause you know no one talks about _anyone_ else from glee like that. But yeah anyway after what happened in glee last time Figgins said if I get in another fight with Jesse we're both suspended".

Rachel smiled at Finn. She had expected the worst but he'd actually thought it through, although apparently not everything.

"Finn the coach with be here in 15 minutes".

"Yeah?", he asked looking confused.

"Finn you don't have your case".

Finns mouth formed a perfect 'o' as he looked down at his hands and some sort of realization hit him, "I haven't even packed".

Rachel held back the laughter at his face and said one word, "run".

He took off faster than on the football field.

She watched him go but ended up laughing for the first time that day when he was back in five minutes.

He stood in front of her ready for inspection with his case which had clothes hanging out of the edges. It was strapped together with a belt and she could only assume it was because of the clothes that stopped the zip from being done up correctly. He was also wearing two jackets.

"Come here" she giggled as she took the case from him and unbuckled the belt to begin folding everything.

She held out her hand for one of the jackets.

He was now sitting next to her, "what?"

"You're wearing two jackets. In summer. Hand me one and I'll pack it".

He chuckled as he took one off but proceeded to put it around her shoulders rather than in her hand, "I didn't pack them both because you haven't got a jacket on Rach".

"Oh", was all she managed to say as she blushed and turned back to his case.

She spotted the gold bracelet from Jesse on her wrist as she folded.


	10. Finns Fantasies

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**I had a bit of fun this chapter. It's Britney bitch. **_

_**I knew I HAD to do the Britney episode if not just for the second half of this chapter but I wanted it to be a different dynamic. **_

_**Oh yeah I apologize to anyone who thought the summer chapter was the last we see of Jesse. I know I know. Kill me later. **_

_**And we're only a few chapters away from the time travel. Oh yeah, futurefic time! But yeah I figure another 2 chapters so we'll round off nicely on chapter 12 and then chapter 13 will start part two of this story, the future fic. **_

_**Oh and thank you for the reviews. Ever appreciated and I hope to hear more from you all x**_

_**Toodles. Much love. Live long and Finchel. **_

_**-X-**_

Finn was not having a good second week at school.

He'd thought it couldn't get worse after getting kicked off the football team first week back.

But in true Finn style somehow his second week had got worse.

Glee was still considered loser town even after they got to nationals over the summer but worse than that Rachel was still dating that douche bag St. Jackass.

He couldn't believe she'd taken him back after all the crap he'd said to her.

And Finn only found out it this week when she was in the hallway cooing down the phone to him about his college.

If it wasn't for Finns new attitude he may have just punched himself in the face right then and be done with it.

But Finn did indeed have a new attitude. It was a new year and Finn was all about the confidence. This was _his_ year.

He would get Rachel or die trying.

He thought it would be a lot easier considering the idiot boyfriend was away at school in LA. Finn had his glee lead back, he had his mojo back and best of all he was Rachel's 'friend' which was, like, the perfect in.

None of that really helped though when he had watched Azimio and Karofsky rip his Letterman jacket in half. That was another thing he had to make sure he did this year, get back on the team and pound those guys.

"Finn"

He looked up realizing he had made it to glee club and Rachel, his friend, was calling him.

"Hey Rach, what's going on?" he asked as he jumped up to take a seat in between her and Mercedes.

She returned to her notebook, "oh nothing too out of the ordinary, Mr. Schue is bringing a dental hygienist to glee today to lecture us on oral hygiene. Of course I will find it a slight waste of my time as I have always taken care of my teeth. A performer can't very well win over a audience with a dazzling smile if she has anything less than a perfect set of pearly whites".

If there was one thing Finn was getting better and better at doing it was hearing the cliff notes version of anything Rachel said.

"So why is a dentist coming today?"

"To make sure you have still have those choppers in ten years young man", the guy who Finn could only assume was the dentist strutted in. There was no other word for it, this guy was so cool he strutted.

Since when were dentists cool?

Mr. Schue walked in behind the dentist that most of the girls were now fawning over, "guys this is..."

"The finest thing I have ever seen", Santana almost drooled from the front row.

"Dr. Carl actually. He's a dentist and he's here to talk to you all", Mr. Schue finished.

Finn folded his arms and prepared for a quick nap. No amount of coolness could make him care about teeth.

Carl however was apparently not letting that happen.

"So guys I could stand here and lecture you guys on good dental hygiene blah blah blah but I know you aren't going to listen to that so I'm going to show you instead. Alright so here's the deal, you chew this little capsule. Now if there's any plaque you missed the dye will stick to it and turn your teeth blue"

Finn sat up, the idea of dirty teeth didn't appeal but having blue teeth? That sounded pretty fun. And anything beat a lecture.

"Yes chew away, chew, chew!" Ms. Pillsbury clapped from the front.

Finn popped the pill in his mouth and started biting up the chalky tasting thing.

He noticed a few others start to open their mouths revealing shiny white teeth and Finn revealed his. Apparently they were fine because nobody said anything.

He turned to Rachel to...

"Ahh!"

Finn didn't mean to shout out or jump back but her teeth were _so_ blue.

Her face scrunched up in worry as she pulled out a mirror before covering her mouth to speak, "I don't understand, I floss between classes".

"Well sometimes its genetics", Carl responded before being distracted by Brittanys soda mouthwash habit.

Rachel's little face dropped and she spent the rest of glee scrubbing her teeth with her finger.

He watched her out the corner of his eye.

At one point she bit her finger and Finn watched as she shook it about and blew on it as if that would stop the pain.

Oh he was definitely making her his.

He waited for her outside of glee as he heard her making an appointment for a 'urgent cleaning'. Finn heard Carl the dentist dude telling her that her teeth weren't that bad to which she replied, "THEY'RE BLUE!"

"Hey Rach, can I walk you to science?", he asked as she joined him in the corridor slipping her appointment card into her folder.

She attempted to stretch her lips over her teeth as she spoke, "sure Finn, we are in the same class after all".

"It's ok Rach, I've seen your teeth" he smiled at her.

He didn't know if it was what he said or the smile but something set her off, "yes and the more you see them the more my horrific blue teeth will be etched into yours and everyone else's mind like a neon reminder that Rachel Berry has plaque".

"Erm but I thought it was just like in your genes or something?"

"Oh sweet innocent Finn, if only everyone else knew that. Alas they do not and I cannot run the risk of anyone assuming I follow a less than perfect dental routine, because I am Rachel Barbara Berry and I keep a toothbrush in my locker in case of emergencies so..."

He saw something change in her and she jumped up and down a little, "that's it Finn. I will meet you in science, I have to take a quick detour to my locker".

She turned with a giddy little twirl but bumped into Santana who was walking down the hall in the opposite direction.

"Hey dwarf anyone ever tell you that you dress like one of the bait girls on to catch a predator and to top it off you now look like you've been eating a blue popsicle?" Santana gave Rachel the evil eye as she walked past.

Before Finn could say anything Santana was gone, giggling to Brittany in the distance.

Rachel watched her walk away before escaping in a swirl of hair and skirt in the direction of her locker.

He pulled his backpack a little tighter over his shoulder and shook his head at the dramatics he had just witnessed over teeth. How did he fall in love with one of the craziest yet adorable, over achieving girls in the school? Well probably the world.

Wait, did he just think the word love?

Does he think love Rachel Berry?

-X-

Finn heard commotion down the hall but couldn't see anything from his prime viewing location 6"3 up so he continued to look for a book in his locker.

Although he eventually gave up, he was never going to find that English book even if he like moved stuff to look for it and everything.

Cheerfully he looked down the corridor again and that's when he saw the cause of the stares and whispers.

Rachel Berry was walking down the hall in a Britney Spears 'baby one more time' outfit.

And she looked smoking hot.

She had this little smirk on her face and Finn nearly had to think of the Mailman right there.

That's when the reaction of every other student in school dawned on him.

Every other guy was looking at her and probably thinking the same thing as he was.

About his Rachel.

Well she wasn't his yet, but she would be and anyway, he was in thought love with her (because he hadn't said it out loud yet). That was totally enough of a reason to not want EVERY guy in school ogling her.

"Hey Rach, take my hoodie you look cold", he said running over and wrapping the jacket around her.

This time however she didn't blush like she had over the summer but instead shrugged out of it.

"It's ok I'm not... wait a minute. Don't you like my new look Finn?", she turned to him with a pout.

She was pouting at him? In that outfit?

Was she trying to kill him?

"Erm it's definitely different but it's a little much isn't it Rach? I think that guy just broke up with his girlfriend just to stare at you".

She giggled wickedly.

"Well luckily Finn you're not my boyfriend and even if you were I don't allow anyone else to dictate what I wear. Besides this is just like my regular outfit but with the volume turned up", Rachel said winking.

Oh god she just winked. And he was the perfect height to look down her...

Focus Hudson.

"Does Jesse know you're walking around school like that?", not that Finn was looking out for him or anything but if and when she was his girlfriend Finn would wanna know.

"I may have mentioned briefly that I was considering changing my look _slightly_. But if you think he'll like it I'll send him a picture in my free period".

Finn slapped his palm into his face, he was now giving her ideas to send Jesse picture messages in that outfit.

"Oh baby you can hit me as many times as you want, as long as you got that on!", Azimio shouted as Rachel and Finn made their way down the hall still discussing her outfit.

"Rachel they're personifying you!", he argued.

"Objectifying", she corrected. And for once he didn't find her correcting him helpful.

"Whatever!"

It suddenly dawned on Finn he needed try a different route as she obviously wasn't getting it.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Rachhh", he dragged out the syllable, "I'm saying this as your _friend,_ you know? I just miss those cute reindeer sweaters".

He tilted his head, looked her up and down and grinned for good measure.

Stay cool Hudson, stay cool.

It must of had some effect because he saw the color rise in her cheeks and the smile tug at her lips before her eyes narrowed and she twirled a finger around one of her plaits.

"Thank you for the advice Finn but I think I'll try out this look a little longer", she shook off his arm and proceeded to walk off.

Finn could have died right then as he watched her walk away dressed like that.

She didn't get very far before a nest of hair flew past Finns face shouting after her.

"Marry me Rachel, I'll give you anything. I'll give you my house. I'll kill my parents and give you my house. Please be mine-e!", Jacob squeaked as he felt Finn yank his shirt back, stopping him from chasing her anymore.

"Uh uh. Not cool. Now if you want to finish the day off alive, do not look at Rachel Berry".

Jacob grinned, "You're no longer on the football team, you have no power here".

Puck strolled down the corridor whistling "wooooo Hudson have you seen Berry today?"

He then spotted Jacob in Finns hand, "awesome we're hassling dweebs?"

Finn shook his head, "this little pervert was bothering Rachel and apparently isn't afraid of me now I'm not quarterback".

Puck took Jacob out of Finns hands and held him against the lockers as he shook one of his fists in Jacobs face, "oh yeah? I'm still on the team pip-squeak and I've got my boy Finns back".

Jacob looked like he'd just peed his pants as he mumbled "yes sir" and squirmed out of Pucks grasp.

Puck turned to Finn, "So what's new Finnessa? Seems to me you don't threaten Jacob every day"

Finn rubbed his temple before replying, "you've seen her today?"

"Yeah almost damn near followed her just to look at her some more, chicks got it going on today", Puck said as he looked thoughtfully in the direction of the choir room.

"Dude!", Finn hit puck in the arm.

Puck laughed it off, "come on you know I'm with Quinn and you're my bro and all. I wouldn't pull that crap again, but I gotta catch another peek at least. She's not even your girlfriend or anything".

"Not yet she's not".


	11. Quinns Duet

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Hey guys. Don't get too excited about this chapter, I admit it's a little filler. I just felt that since Quick is in this story I wanted to smack down Sam in 'Duets'. **_

_**Oh I'm cruel.**_

_**It's not that I don't like Sam I just think he's a boring pairing with Quinn romantically. **_

_**So yeah this chapter is literally a little Quick but not really cause Pucks not in it, the intro of Sams character and yeah it's really short. Like blink of an eye short. **_

_**Next chapter is the drama. But, but, but good news. It's already written and will be with you later today. Like give me an hour or something. **_

_**Success. **_

_**I absolutely love some of the reviews I've got recently. Thank you very much. Hope to hear more but I'm waiting for the reviews of Chapter 12 once it's up. Exciting! **_

_**Much love as ever. Live long and Finchel. **_

_**-X-**_

Puck was such a dumb ass.

Quinn had spent the last 24 hours planning how to punish him when he got out.

The worst part is she felt a little guilty. He'd done so well reigning in his Puckness and staying faithful for her. Well the explosion of Puck badassness that landed him in juvie was surely only a matter of time.

Didn't change the fact that she was going to kill him, probably double for making her feel guilty.

"Sorry I'm late guys I was with Principal Figgins. Bad news guys".

Mr. Schue had that look on his face. A look she wore when she found out.

Disappointment mingled with disbelief.

Disbelief at his stupidity.

"Puckermans in juvie", Mr. Schue sighed.

"Really was just a matter of time", Tina said as she shook her head.

Quinn agreed that he was an idiot and _maybe_ it was just a matter of time but she still found herself tempted to stare Tina down for that.

"What did he do?" Santana asked.

Quinn had neglected to tell anyone else in glee for two reasons. A) Quinn kind of hoped nobody would find out and B) she only found out yesterday herself and she wasn't a blabbermouth.

"He drove his moms volvo through the front of a connivence store and drove off with the ATM"

Laughter broke out among a few of them and Quinn wanted to punch a few of them.

Puck had obviously been a bad influence on her.

Sure she was first in line after his mom to make his life a living hell when he got out but they could at least pretend they'd miss him.

She already missed him.

"And when is he getting out?", Rachel asked.

Quinn perked up at that. Rachel wasn't her best friend or anything but at least someone else in glee was taking this seriously, and that was one question his mom hadn't answered when she'd told Quinn.

Mr. Schue was both confused and wary as he answered, "unknown".

"He may be the dumbest person on the planet and that's coming from me", Brittany laughed.

"Hey!", Quinn finally said.

"Guys lets have some sympathy", Mr. Schue pleaded.

"For a guy who put his needs before of the teams? We need his voice and his bad boy stage presence", Finn moaned.

"Amen", Quinn muttered looking at the wholesome boy.

"We can't look at this as a crisis, it's an opportunity".

Quinn spoke up because she'd love to know what he meant, "for what? Further embarrassment at once again not having a full team?"

With Puck being locked away the only opportunity for Quinn was a opportunity to eat some bacon because Puck insisted that she was temptress whenever he smelt it on her.

Other than the prospect of delicious, delicious bacon Quinn did not agree that a undetermined amount of time without him was a 'opportunity'.

"For welcoming our new member, Sam Evans!"

The tallest Bieber impersonator she'd ever seen ran in like he was on the price is right.

That was Pucks replacement?

"Hey everybody, eh, I'm Sam. Sam, I am. And I don't like green eggs and ham".

Good grief. He was like the love child of Bieber and Forest Gump.

And had he had botox in those lips?

"Oh wow he has no game", Santana proclaimed from the back and Quinn stifled a laugh.

Finn was suddenly very eager as he jumped up, "Ok this is gonna be great, you're not gonna regret joining Sam. Sam. Sit right over there".

Mr. Schue then launched into his lesson of duets and Quinn zoned out.

She was for all her anger at him, still kind of worried about her Puck in juvie. He may be a badass but what if he didn't cope? What if he got the crap beat out of him?

What if they shaved his head again?

No.

Quinn forced herself to push the thoughts from her mind. He would be fine. He would get out and be fine.

Anyway Quinn had her own stuff going on.

With her buffoon of a boyfriend behind bars she'd have to find someone else to sing with for Mr. Schues duet competition.

Because she sure as hell loved eating at breadsticks.

-X-

Quinn sat in breadsticks opposite Sam. How in the world had she ended up there?

She blamed Rachel.

Rachel who convinced her she could scrape second by singing with Sam.

Quinn actually fell for it, against her better judgement, even after Sam tried to kiss her.

And then the wonder twins don't even sing together and pull out of the competition the day before leaving Quinn singing some adorable song with Sam and he now thought they were on a date.

It _so_ wasn't a date.

"You know I hear they don't even make these fresh, they fly them in frozen from some factory in Dominican Republic", she said snapping a breadstick in front of her.

That's it Quinn, small talk. Nothing heavy. Just eat your tasty dinner and make small talk.

"Well it's got some pretty sweet ways down the Dominican. Hey hey hey!"

That was awkward. She just looked at him because in all honesty she had no idea what just came out of his mouth.

"Come on it's my Matthew McConaughey impression, come on".

"Does that work on the girls where you're from? The impressions, the bad jokes, the Na'vi?", she blurted out.

"I don't know I went to an all boys boarding school".

Quinn smiled politely at that.

Now it made sense.

And now he was bringing up last year.

Quinn's eyes were suddenly glassy but she blinked them away. This guy did not get to come into to her life and talk about _that_ after royally messing with her first week without Puck.

Puck who had looked after her all summer.

"...You're really brave to come back, I don't judge you or anything. I know what it's like to have a secret that you're ashamed of".

She smiled, a little relieved and whispered "ohh crap. So you are gay?"

"What? No. When I moved here I wanted to seem cooler, I figured if I looked like Swayze in Point Break people might think I'm a surfer or something... so I put lemon juice in my hair", he smiled at her like the world was lifted off of his shoulders.

That was his deep dark secret.

"Well blondes do have more fun", she replied taking a sip of her drink.

He stared at her, "wait why did you think I was gay?"

Quinn's eyes darted to the plate in front of her, "I didn't..."

"But you just said..."

"Oh all boys boarding school, blonde hair, talking about secrets. I just guessed".

"Righttt", he said as he began to wolf down the food in front of him.

"So how badly is Puckerman gonna beat my ass when he gets out, for hitting on his girl?"

She laughed, "well unless he wants to go back to juvie I'd say he's got to let you off. But I think he'll be ok when I tell him your best move was Na'vi"

"Oe tsun nì'aw hope", he smiled before adding, "I can only hope" and continuing with his dinner.


	12. Rachels Decision

_**- Authors Notes at the bottom of the chapter :) -**_

Rachel sat in the choir room watching the aftermath of the Karofsky confrontation.

Tina cooed over Mike and Brittany was sitting on Artie's lap.

Puck was repeatedly slamming a fist into his other hand, apparently angry that probation and self control stopped him from participating.

Quinn handed Sam a ice pack for his eye before sitting with Puck and holding onto one of his hands in an attempt to stop him pummeling himself anymore.

Rachel looked at Sam's eye feeling partly responsible, it had been her suggestion to the football girlfriends that they get their boyfriends to defend Kurt.

"It should not have gone down without you Finn, you should have been leading the charge", Mercedes said from the back row, arms crossed, staring Finn down.

Rachel felt guilt wash over her as she looked at Finn. Rachel, due to telephone based boyfriend commitments, did not get a chance to ask Finn before everything took place. It had all happened so quickly that one lunch time chat with Jesse had taken her opportunity.

She felt _so_ responsible for the verbal guilt trip the club was now laying on him.

"Lay off Finn everyone, it isn't his problem. It's none of your problems actually. But thank you for what you did, especially Sam", Kurt said from his corner.

She wondered if Kurt had consciously distanced himself in the corner.

"I'm serious you're the epitome of a leader", Mike said to Sam who smirked and Finn sunk a little lower in his seat. For someone so tall he certainly looked short at the moment.

His face was begging for the ground to swallow him whole as he turned around and made the briefest eye contact with Rachel before returning to stare straight ahead as Mr. Schue came in, unaware of the situation as usual.

She didn't take her eyes off of Finns back until Mr. Schue addressed Kurt directly, "you ok Kurt?"

Rachel eyed Kurt as he just looked up and nodded which she knew was far too few words for the second biggest drama queen in glee club.

She had to accept the number one spot based on her legendary storm outs alone.

"Alright let's take our places we have a wedding to prepare for", Mr. Shue said in a chipper voice trying to ease the tension in the room.

To some extent it worked.

And so Rachel found herself in Kurt's wedding production rehearsal in the auditorium with a depressed male lead.

It would however make a huge difference to the environment they had sung in of late.

When Jesse left school Rachel fell back into her old glee routine easily. With Finn as her leading man.

The only difference was now she checked under _her_ bed for Finn.

Ok, that was a slight exaggeration but the shoe was very much on the other foot.

Before Jesse, Rachel used every duet as a opportunity to bask in Finn Hudson's presence. To musically chase him. To get closer to him.

However now he chased her, he tried to get closer to her. She saw the look in his eyes whenever they performed.

She had to admit if she had been that bad last year, well she could see where the 'swim fan' reference came from.

Rachel was caught between a rock and a hard place. Finn was the rock. The hard place was Jesse. Every evening after glee she would receive a call from her college boyfriend who wanted a detailed play by play of each glee practice.

Rachel Berry detailed.

And she couldn't tell anymore if it was because he was interested in the glee club he had recently left or if he was worried about her and Finn together as the leads.

"Rachel, pay attention!", Kurt's voice cut through her thoughts like a knife.

She shook her head and attempted to focus, "sorry Kurt I was..." She looked at Finn who was staring at her, "...distracted. I realize it is unlike me and for that I apologize. Rest assured you now have my full attention".

He pursed his lips. "Well thank you. As I was saying you and Finn will have the first solos and Finn has actually mastered the steps so in honor of his hard work I think we're ready for a run through, Mr Schue?"

Mr. Schue looked down from his seat and spoke into his mic, "ok guys, from the top!"

Rachel noticed the mood instantly lighten as the upbeat music began, earlier conversations of fights and bullying pushed to the back of everyones mind.

They made a preliminary aisle through the middle of the auditorium stage for them to practice down and Finn walked in and began singing his lines.

"It's a beautiful night, we're looking for something dumb to do. Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you".

He was now kneeling and pointing at the door where she would be coming in. Rachel felt a warm shiver as she heard him sing the lyrics.

"Is it the look in your eyes? Or is it this dancing juice? Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you".

He swept her up bridal style and carried her around the side for their next entrance. Putting her down he looked at her and smiled for the first time since coming into glee practice the day.

"That was great Rach, really... great".

"Thank you Finn, although brief your performance was powerful and... emotional, as ever".

Rachel looked to the makeshift aisle and watched Puck push Artie out of sight, they would be back on in a few seconds. Despite Rachel looking away she could feel Finn watching her still.

"I can't wait till the wedding", he finally said before leading her back out by her hand which she only just realized he hadn't let go of.

-X-

Rachel's hand smoothed out the red dress that hung perfectly from her body while she sat in the truck with her other hand pressing her phone to her ear.

Puck was on driving duty, picking up various members of the glee club pre wedding.

Rachel was thankful that she had insisted on being picked up early and no one else had wanted to car pool that far ahead of time. It meant only Puck was privy to her conversation with Jesse and she was fairly sure that Puck didn't care.

"Yes Jesse, I told you what time the wedding starts. I'm going early to help out."

"I'm on my way now".

"Noah is driving me".

She whispered into the receiver, "the dress I sent you a picture of".

"Ok Jesse I have to go we're pulling into the wedding now and I'm sure Kurt will have plenty for me to do", she said returning to her normal volume.

"Of course, I miss you too".

She pressed end call. Sometimes she missed her old flip phone for it's satisfying snap shut to disconnect a call.

"Berry you know we're not going to be there for another 10 minutes right?", Puck asked with a grin.

She didn't take her eyes off of the road as she spoke, "and I'm sure your mother told you eavesdropping is rude Noah"

He chuckled, "she also said stay outta trouble but look who's still on probation".

They spent the rest of the trip listening to the songs from the radio and Rachel held her laughter when Puck sung a particularly stirring rendition of 'Party in the USA' by Miley Cryus.

It was only when she joined him on the last chorus that he switched the station and mumbled, "my sister likes that song".

When they arrived it was a blur. Puck found a excuse to leave for his next pickup which left Rachel in the hands of Kurt who had gone, for a lack of a better word, insane.

Potentially explosive was another accurate description.

On the outside he looked cool, calm and collected as usual. Rachel noted his organized folder of lists, schedules and phone numbers.

However upon speaking to him for longer than a millisecond his voice shot unnaturally high, even for Kurt, his palms shook anytime someone told him something was either late or early and he was ordering people around like he was organizing the olympic opening ceremonies.

Rachel did not escape his wrath.

It seemed like a lifetime of odd jobs and errands before Kurt finally said, "Rachel I think you're done, we're 10 minutes from the main event so take this time to I don't know, just get out of the way".

She couldn't have ran fast enough, not even bothering to point out that Kurt was lacking his normal scathing comments where he would have suggested she go change even though she's already ready or something equally horrid about her hair.

Slowing to a jog as she reached what Kurt had set up as the 'back stage area' for members of the wedding party and glee clubbers, Rachel ran straight into Finn.

"Rachel! There you are!", his face was positively, well gleeful.

"Have you been looking for me?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "well I was just wondering where Kurt was keeping you, Puck said he dropped you off over an hour and a half ago. You look beautiful".

She blushed at the compliment. "Thank you Finn, you look quite dapper yourself"

He opened his mouth with a confused look on his face but she cut him off knowingly, "Handsome. You look handsome Finn".

"Thanks Rach, I'm really looking forward to..."

"Rachel Barbara Berry you look divine", the small space echoed the words coming from behind her.

She knew the voice before she turned around. She should have known the voice, she mused, as she only spoke to him a few hours before.

"Jesse?"

Jesse stood dressed to the nines with a corsage in one hand and a raised eyebrow gracing his face.

Rachel ran towards him and wrapped her arms around him without thinking. It was one thing to speak to him on the phone everyday but to see him in the flesh after months apart?

"What are you doing here?', she slapped his chest playfully as she asked, "I thought you were in LA till Christmas"

He kept one arm around her as he spoke, "I wanted to surprise you with a weekend of epic romance and I thought when better than a wedding weekend? Ahh Finn"

He let go of Rachel and walked up to Finn with a smile on his face and his hand extended.

Rachel suddenly felt painfully awkward with the present company.

"Congratulations on your mothers happy union. I assume you've been looking after New Directions since I've left?"

Finn had a look mingled between anger and surprise as he returned the hand shake.

"Erm thanks. Yeah I've been looking after the glee club, it was mine in the first place. But we're performing today so you'll be able to see for yourself". Finns glance had swept to Rachel as he emphasized the words 'glee club' before returning to face Jesse.

"So I will Finn", he turned back to Rachel as if he had never spoken to Finn, "I'm under Kurt's strictest instructions that I have to be in my seat in 2 minutes but before I depart I came to give you this, I know it's not prom night but I felt a occasion like this warranted something special for you Rachel". He slipped a corsage on her wrist that had a delicate gathering of 3 red roses.

"Thank you, I'm so happy to see you"

"So did I surprise you?, he asked with his knowing smirk.

"Absolutely", she smiled at him as he kissed her on the cheek and walked away.

"So Jesses here?", Rachel thought Finns voice actually sounded hurt. It was hardly her fault that her long distance boyfriend had turned up for the wedding.

"I hope it's not a problem Finn", was all Rachel managed to say.

He looked into her eyes for the longest moment.

"Why would it be?", he mumbled before walking towards the wedding entrance to prepare for their opening number.

Finn didn't say a word to Rachel for the rest of the wedding. She caught him staring at her a few times at the alter but beyond singing to her, he said nothing.

Even his solo to her sounded lifeless in her ears.

It wasn't as awkward at the reception as Finn sat at the head table and Rachel sat on the glee table. She was please to find that Kurt had been in cahoots long enough to get Jesse a seat at their table but not, unfortunatly, next to Rachel.

She didn't dare ask Kurt anything regarding the seating arrangement because Rachel quite enjoyed having her head still attached to her body and she was unaware if he was still liable to decapitate her.

She instead spent the evening watching the dancing and listening to Jesse regale various members of glee with stories from college.

It wasn't until Rachel turned to the dance floor to watch the speeches that Jesse snuck into a now vacated seat behind her allowing Rachel to lean up against him and him to wrap his arms around her.

She listened to Finns speech, which was in her opinion the best of the evening, with a sadness she didn't fully understand.

She was in the arms of her loving boyfriend and yet the empty way Finn looked at her now left her feeling empty herself.

Finn announced the secret song he had asked the club to prepare for Kurt and Rachel jumped up to the girls side of the choreography.

Before she knew it half of the hall were on their feet dancing to Finn sing 'Just the Way You Are' and Jesse swiftly joined her as soon as the room coupled off.

Rachel caught Finn looking at her for the final time that day as he sung the last lines but their connection was abruptly broken as she danced.

Jesse spun her around before pulling her close and whispering in her ear, "I'm going to marry you one day Rachel Berry".

As Rachel peeked over his shoulder she saw Finn looking the other way defiantly.

She curled a little closer into Jesses arms and leaned into his chest as she whispered "I love you".

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**And so here we are. In regards to this story Part 1 is complete with this chapter. When we return Part 2 is a future fic. **_

_**The chapters will be largely the same format just obviously not based around episodes.**_

_**I wanted to put the authors notes down here to say oh dear god is that really how I'm ending Part 1?**_

_**Yes indeed, I haven't had a bump to the head (not since I was a child anyway!) trust me, like our beloved TV show glee, Finchel is endgame for this fic, but the course of true love never does run smooth. **_

_**I hope you all let me know what you think. I also hope that you don't give up on me after this chapter. And I especially hope that you're all looking forward to Part 2 aka future fic cause I sure am. **_

_**Much love. Live long and Finchel.**_

_**-X-**_


	13. Finns Compensation

_**-Authors notes-**_

_**Hey guys. It feels like a lifetime since I last updated. Probably because in fic world it was 8 years ago. Yikes. So yeah welcome to the future. Wooo spooky. (Oh I know it says 8 years up here and 6 and half in the chapter but thats cause it's 6 and a half since Finn last spoke to her as they had a further year and a half of school after chapter 12. Long story short it's 8 years since chapter 12). **_

_**So this is a nice short chapter, just a intro to where Finn is with his life. Bless. **_

_**I hope I didn't loose too many of you with the last chapter I know it was a little Finchel heartbreaking but you know I loves me some speedy updates so it won't be long now. **_

_**I'd love to hear some thoughts on the next few chapters in particular while we're finding our feet in the future. Commence PART 2. **_

_**Much love. Live long and Finchel**_

_**-X-**_

From somewhere in the distance Finn could hear the phone ringing.

He pulled his sheets above his head in the hopes that it would stop but all he had achieved was muffling the annoying sound.

As his feet hit the floor Finn knew he wouldn't be getting back to sleep at any point soon.

"Who is it?" he answered with a snap in his voice.

"Finnessa is that anyway to talk to your mother?"

Finn looked at the clock on his wall knowing that the only reason Puck was up at 9 on a Saturday was his kids, one of whom Finn could hear crying in the background.

"Well she wouldn't be calling me this goddamn early but you do a really good girls voice"

Puck chuckled down the phone, "whatever anyway I'm just checking if you booked your flight yet?"

It was Finns turn to laugh, "you're just checking? Oh Quinn has got you so whipped"

"I'll remember to punch to in the gut for that when you get here. But you didn't answer the question"

Finn opened his laptop as he spoke, "hear that? I'm turning on my computer right now and I'll book it, okay?"

"Whatever princess it's not like I care but Quinn was all worried and crap"

Finn heard Quinns voice shout, "language!" the background followed by "morning Finn!"

"You only told me about the party 3 days ago, I booked it off work yesterday", Finn said tapping away at the keys as he did.

"Yeah but we haven't asked anyone else, I'm meant to be doing it today. We gave you a head start cause everyone knows how useless you are".

"Thanks for the vote of confidence dude. I'll text you my flight details when I've finished but I'm gonna put the phone down now because if I have to listen to you neglecting my godchildren any longer I may have to call child services".

Puck laughed again, "yeah yeah, and in the meantime I'll set you up a profile on some gay dating sites because..."

Finn tapped end call with a grin knowing it would annoy Puck no end.

Sometimes he wondered how he had ended up staying Pucks best friend over the years even though they lived so far apart as well as everything else that happened between them.

But some pests just don't go away.

He laughed and made a mental note to remember to use that one on Puck sometime.

Finn began shuffling his way around his apartment after booking his flight to Lima before slumping on the couch and turning on the TV.

"And the big scoop today is Rachel Berry's debut album. The broadway sensation has given us a sneak peek at the title track. The album titled, 'The Basics' is due to hit stores July 16th but heres a clip from the single which is causing quite a stir and leaving most critics begging for more"

The smiling face of the presenter cut to black and white shots of Rachel singing while walking the streets of New York.

Rachel Berry who Finn hadn't spoken to in years.

6 and a half years to be exact.

He raised his hand to change the channel but the sound of her singing stopped him.

That voice. He'd missed it.

He'd put so much effort into avoiding her, he never asked anyone about her, avoided her name like the plague. It was the only way. And here he was on a random Saturday and he'd stumbled across her.

But not just a picture or story, her name, her face and her voice. Everything that made her, her.

It hit him like a wave.

Finn didn't listen to the lyrics but allowed the comforting sound to wash over him. As soon as they cut back to the presenter gushing over the video he switched off.

Making himself a bowl of a cereal he sat down at his still turned on computer and grabbed his cell to text Puck the details.

"Here are my flight details. I'm not paying for a cab so you can pick me up at the airport. Oh yeah do you know who else is going? Is it all the old crowd?"

Finn reread the message before hitting send. It wasn't obvious at all.

Not that he cared if she went.

In fact he hoped she didn't. Maybe she'd be too busy with her album launch or a show or something. Or Jesse. Maybe she'd be like married to him by now or something.

In the course of a 40 second clip of Rachel singing on TV the floodgates had opened. They weren't going to be easy to close.

Not without some serious drinking with the guys and maybe some football anyway.

-X-

"And we have a special treat ladies and gentlemen, Finn Hudson, coach of Iowa State football..." the guy on the mic paused to let the whoops and roars quiet down, "...team is with us tonight. Now I'm sure you all saw Iowa bring home a victory on Thursday which was in no small part thanks to Coach Hudson, so please stand up and take a bow".

Finn had already had a few beers, or six, and was feeling a little light headed. At the sound of the bar chanting his name, he felt there was only one thing to do.

He yanked himself on top of a barstool and proceeded to climb on top of the bar. He raised his hands to the ceiling, which he could now touch, and yelled, "IOWA STATE, IOWA STATE, IOWA STATE WOOOO!"

Everyone went wild and as he stumbled his way back down the earth he was caught by various people patting him on the back.

"Good man Hudson", Jimmy said to him.

Jimmy had been Finns second assistant since Finn made coach, and his drinking buddy for a year now.

"You know what Jimmy, Jimbo, Jim Jim Jimmmmy?", Finn slammed a hand to the bar with a smile on his face, nodding for another beer.

"No, what?"

"I think I'm making you my official wingman tonight".

The men laughed and Jimmy put a arm onto Finns shoulder waving his other hand across the crowd as he talked, "Excellent, what are you liking tonight Hudson? Blonde? Redhead?..."

"Brunette. Find me a Brunette"

"Excellent choice sir, give me 10 minutes".

Finn raised a hand to salute him as he walked away safe in the knowledge that he would find someone to comfort the lonely but famous football coach tonight.

Everyone loved Finn Hudson, youngest Iowa State football coach for two decades.

Finishing off another beer, he was a big guy after all, he got to talking to the guys at the bar about the upcoming game.

"So what have you got going for the next one? Cause that play in the second quarter on Thursday was genius", one guy asked.

"Come on guys I can't give away any of the plays for the _next_ game, you never know when those Florida spies are listening. But trust me, they won't know what's hit them"

They started grunting to each other past Finn as Finns phone vibrated in his pocket and he yanked it out as gracefully as ever.

He looked down to read the text from Puck.

"Dude I'll buy you flowers and spin you around at the airport and EVERYTHING. And I rang her today, of course she's coming dude. As she put it she 'was and always will be co captain' or something. I stopped listening after a while. Man she can still talk. Peace!"

Finn face palmed both at being _that_ obvious and that she was coming.

And he'd already booked his flight, no going back now.

Luckily Jimmy's voice distracted him.

"Finn Hudson my man, let me introduce you to Rachel. She's a nurse from..."

"Rachel?", Finn looked up at Jimmy and the girl standing next to him.

The girl giggled as Finn gave her the once over. About half a foot too tall and nose was a bit small.

"Hi Finn. Can I call you Finn? Or do you prefer coach?", she drawled as she ran a finger down his arm teasingly.

Finn ordered another beer which the guy he'd been talking football with insisted on paying for.

"Call me Finn", he replied with a half grin.

She giggled once more and leaned over to talk to him. Behind her Jimmy gave Finn the thumbs up and dissolved into the crowd again.

He was drunk enough that this might just work out.


	14. Rachels Invite

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Hello grown up Rachel. Yay, Rachel chapter. I think a lot of you will be satisfied with this chapter and I will give a small thing away, this will be the last time we see St. James. **_

_**So I can't actually tell you how much I enjoyed writing this chapter for that reason alone. **_

_**Anyway how is everyone? Good? Good!**_

_**As always drop me a review, I do so love to hear what you think. ALSO it's now like just over 3 weeks till new glee. Say it with me "YAYYYYY!"**_

_**Muchos love. Live long and Finchel. **_

_**-X-**_

"Rachel, over here!"

"Rachel! Rachel!' Two paparazzi called to her as she slipped into the car and her driver closed the door.

"The album hasn't even launched yet", Rachel said watching the photographers shrink into the distance out of the tinted windows.

David didn't look up from his phone as he spoke, "Yes but you're a up and coming star. The single is already making waves and it hasn't even been released, all of your broadway experience means people don't know what you'll do next. The album? TV? Movies? You're a wildcard".

"They sell pictures of anyone having 15 minutes of fame these days", Rachel sighed as she leaned back into the chair.

"You're not some hussy from a reality TV show Rachel, you're a talented performer with four years on some of the biggest shows on Broadway who is releasing an album and expanding her wings", her agent replied.

Rachel knew he was just trying to placate her but that was her agents job. To keep her happy.

The silence that had now fallen over the car was interrupted by 'Sweet Caroline'. Since every contact in her phone had personalized ringtones she instantly knew it was Noah but why was he calling?

"Hello Noah?"

"Hey Berry!" he exclaimed down the phone to her.

"I think at our age Noah you are more than capable of calling me Rachel. Anyway how are you? How's the family?"

"Yeah Yeah _Rachel_, everyone's fine. I've actually got one of them attached to my leg as we speak".

Rachel just laughed at the mental image of Noah Puckerman with a child dangling precariously from his leg.

"So Rachel I'm calling because me and Quinn, we're organizing a party in two weeks, for Schuester"

Rachel leaned her phone against her shoulder just to clap her hands, "for his 40th I assume?"

"Yeah but Quinn wanted to arrange a mini reunion, get his first and original glee club back together and all that. Quinn wants to do a number for him".

"Noah Puckerman I would be thrilled to come back to Lima for the party and a performance. I will have to coordinate with Quinn and offer my assistance in arranging a song to sing. I was after all co captain, a role I feel I metaphorically will always hold. What date is the party? I've been meaning to visit soon, oh it will be wonderful to see everyone again. And visit my fathers while I'm in town".

Rachel waited eagerly for a response, "Noah?"

"Sorry I must have fell asleep", he laughed down the phone. "Take a breath once in a while. Well anyway it's on the 20th which is his birthday".

"I'll probably fly in next week. Please send my best to Quinn and let her know I'll give her a call tomorrow, or maybe later".

"Oh she'll totally look forward to that. One more thing, do you still talk to Jesse?"

Rachel felt her face fall, it had only been a few months since she last spoke to Noah did he really expect her to be talking to Jesse by now? Or should she say Jesse speaking to her?

David tapped her knee, "Rachel honey are you ok?"

"Who's that?", Noah asked at the sound of Davids voice.

Rachel mentally slapped herself and regained her composure.

Nodding to David she replied to Puck, "That's David. No Noah, Jesse and I haven't spoken since... well since the engagement debacle. I fear he may be unwilling to join us for the soirée if he know's I'll be there. However I can try and contact him if you wish?"

"If you can, I know it'll be awkward but he _was_ in glee. Let me know if St. Poofy Hair can come"

"It was nice talking to you Noah", she said seeing her apartment building come into view.

"You too Berry!", he laughed as he hung up the phone.

She looked up at David, "I guess I need to book a flight, I'm going home".

-X-

Rachel had fed the google monster within her for only a second, just long enough to ensure he still lived at the same address.

She slipped into jeans and a sweater before putting on her black converse. Rachel had decided to walk to his apartment which was only 6 blocks away.

Slinging her bag over her shoulder and closing the door to her apartment she slid her iPod into her pocket and on shuffle.

Rachel enjoyed quiet walks through New York, it was then she could fully appreciate the small details of the city that she loved so much.

Her iPod began to pump 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry' into her ears and she quickly skipped the song, for where she was going it hit too close to home. It being the song he had once serenaded her with to ask forgiveness.

Now it was she who needed forgiveness.

Rachel reached his apartment and turned off the music. She sat on the steps to his building for a few minutes giving herself a pep talk before entering.

She wasn't proud of entering his building with a key she still had but she figured she would make up for it by knocking on his actual door and she didn't want to risk him not letting her into the building at all.

"Rachel Berry, well I never!"

Rachel looked to the older woman collecting her mail, "Mrs Fignesse, how are you?"

"I'm fine dear", she returned with a smile, "I'm surprised to see you it's been, oh, what a year now?"

"A year last week", Rachel felt suddenly very sheepish.

The woman made her way to the elevator with Rachel and patted her on the arm, "Well you know I don't like to pry but I'm glad you're here. He's been a wreck, even now".

Rachel fought a smile because if there was one thing this neighbor loved to do it was pry.

They stood in the elevator in silence.

"Well Mrs. Fignesse, this is your floor, no?"

"Oh you remembered", she exclaimed as she walked out of the elevator turning for a moment, "but please tell me you're here to help the poor boy?"

"Bye bye Mrs. Fignesse", Rachel waved as the doors closed but not before she caught a glimpse of the dejected woman's face obviously upset at her lack of gossip.

Her conversation with the woman had not put her in a better mood about her current task. "He's been a wreck, even now", she repeated in her head.

Eventually arriving at his floor the walk to his door seemed longer than it ever had previously. Reaching the red door with its metal '35' screwed into it she felt her mouth dry up.

Raising her hand she knocked as loudly and firmly as her nervous body could manage.

"Yes?" he threw the door open and it sounded like he'd pulled it off of the hinges.

Upon seeing her Jesses face contorted in both anger and pain.

"No, no, no" was all he said as he made to shut the door but she placed one hand firmly upon it, pushing with all her might.

"I need to talk to you Jesse", the door was closing but very slowly with the full force of Rachel Berry pushing against it. He finally conceded swinging the door open, leaving her free to enter.

She picked herself up carefully from the door she was now leaning against and walked into the apartment she once almost lived in. It was a shell of what it once had been. Gone were the homely touches they had made together, which apparently, were a lot. Instead the apartment held the bare minimum, new furniture replaced that which they had picked out together, however on the wall there still hung a small picture of Rachel.

In the frame she had squealed with delight at finding as it had a gold star on it. The only difference was although the picture was still hung, the glass was now smashed and cracked.

The picture was the only evidence that someone still lived here, the rest of the apartment looking like a minimalist show home.

He sat in a chair at the dining table so she walked over and took a seat opposite.

"What do you want Rachel?" his voice asked bluntly.

"Well I am here for a reason of course but first I wanted to see how you are doing?"

He didn't break eye contact with her but his eyes did narrow, gone was the cheeky grin or cocky raised eyebrow from his face, replaced with heavy bags under his eyes and sallow skin.

"How am I doing? HOW AM I DOING?", Rachel flinched at his raised voice, "You broke my heart Rachel, you broke my heart IN FRONT OF EVERYONE WE KNEW! You used me, strung me along, treated me like your lap dog. I'm a joke Rachel, a laughing stock. The only person who didn't see that Rachel Berry didn't loved me was apparently me!"

Rachel although flinching, sat and took the yelling. It was a lot less than she deserved.

"I did love you Jesse, I..."

"Just not enough to marry me? You humiliated me and then moved on overnight. The next week you were working on a new show, new life, now a new album. Forgot about me in a heartbeat".

She felt the tears in her eyes but held them in, letting him blow out some steam.

"I didn't move on overnight Jesse, I channelled my hurt and pain into my roles, like a good actress does. And I did love you. You may choose not to believe that but I did, you just weren't the one. It didn't feel right, marrying you".

"Oh you're not just good, you're a GREAT actress Rachel, fooling me all those years", he let out a long sigh. "What did you come here for Rachel?"

"Actually it's trivial, I... I shouldn't have come you're clearly in no state to see me. But I meant what I said when I left. I hope that one day we can be friends Jesse because I'll always love you", she stood up as she spoke.

He slammed his hands on the table. "But you're just not 'in' love with me, right? No Rachel you came here, tell me the trivial thing you came here to say"

She didn't sit back down as she spoke.

"William Schuester. His 40th birthday is in a few weeks and Quinn and Noah are organizing a party with a reunion of his first glee club. They'd like to do a number in his honor. I came because you were part of that glee club and it fell on my shoulders to enquire whether or not you would be joining us?"

She searched his face for a answer before he spoke, watching him comprehend what she'd just said.

"New Directions? The club that tried to turn me away at first? The club that I transferred to FOR YOU! That even after I proved myself loyal to them, there were still certain members who obviously despised me? You came to ask me if I wanted to form a reunion with the worst decision of my life?"

She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She didn't sob or moan, tears simply spilt silently down her cheeks, "don't say that. I loved you, I did. I defended you, never wavered from your side. They accepted you eventually, they were your friends..."

"Some friends. So many of them remained friends with me that they had to send you, YOU of all people to request my attendance?", he looked down to the woodwork on the table, "I think you should go now Rachel".

"Just... just tell me how I can fix this?", she begged.

"You've done more than enough Rachel. Please send my regards to the _happy_ couple and my apologies that I will not be attending the festivities. I don't honestly believe I could stand to be in the same room as you for that long".

Rachel nodded, she had her answer. She couldn't say anymore as she couldn't bear to endure another onslaught of abuse for her previous mistake.

With a heavy heart she made her way to the door.

"Leave the keys", he said not looking up from the table.

She stopped and hung her head, digging the keys from her bag she placed them on the counter as well as a notepad. Scrawling a quick note she placed it under the keys before retreating.

She closed the door loud enough that he would hear she had gone since he had his back to her now and hadn't moved.

Rachel despite the tears and hurt, curiously placed her ear to the door. She heard his chair scrape along the floor followed by the ripping of paper and then a choked sob.

She slumped against the wall next to the door as she took a tissue from her bag and dried her face.

Closing that chapter of her life, with Jesse, had been a long time coming but seeing him today had done that. She couldn't have that argument with him _or_ herself anymore.

She only regretted it her taking her this long to pluck up the courage to get the closure she so desperately needed.

Rachel jogged down the stairs and out of the door to the building letting the cool air hit her face all at once. It refreshed her in an instant.

She didn't walk home with a spring in her step but she had expected worse from her first exchange with Jesse in a year, so she did have some semblance of relief at getting it out of the way.

And as she got closer to home she remembered that she had to call Quinn about the song for the party.

Rachel assured herself, things could only get better from here.


	15. Pucks Parenting

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**I wanted to get this quick little chapter up. I haven't written a Puck one in a while and now I'm writing adult Puck. It's so weird. But let's face it, he's still Puck.**_

_**Anyway hope you guys liked the last chapter. OMG you guys Jesse is gone for good. **_

_**It's feels like a good thing to type. **_

_**Anyway as I said this is a Puck chapter. Just a nice little bit of Quick also I should mention the 'Beth' in this chapter obviously not the same 'Beth' from the show. Puck and Quinn weren't together to call the first baby Beth in this fic, etc etc. Just wanted to clear that up first. **_

_**Let me know what you think. **_

_**Much love. Live long and Finchel (and Quick). **_

_**-X-**_

Puck felt a small hand tug at his neck but hoped that if he kept his eyes closed they'd disappear.

No such luck.

"Daddddd. Beth is crying and Mommy has been gone for ages".

Crap, he'd forgot that Quinn had a early morning Sunday practice.

He sat up causing the small boy on his chest to tumble backwards into his lap. The boy looked up at him and shook his little head.

"Not cool Dad. Not cool" he said before jumping down and running from the room.

In the distance he could hear a baby cry and he wondered when his brain had decided to ignore the baby monitor.

Dragging himself into the twins room he leaned over and picked up the crying baby girl.

"It's ok Beth, Daddy is gonna get you fed and then maybe we'll play with fireworks or something, sound good?", he asked the relentlessly crying child trying to calm her down as he bounced her to the kitchen.

Suddenly Russ ran into the room, since waking Puck up he had now put on his Superman costume.

"Dad, I wanna play with fireworks!", he shouted as he ran around the kitchen table with one arm out, apparently in mid flight.

Puck began feeding Beth once the bottle was warm while chuckling at his son, "I think Mommy would kill me"

He stopped to look at his Dad for a second and Puck saw a glint in his eye, the same glint Pucks Mom said he had at that age.

"Uh uh Mommy will kill you when I tell her how long Beth was crying for! I bet Mommy would be cool with fireworks", the boy stuck his tongue out before running away again.

If Puck didn't have a small child in his arms he'd probably chase after Russ and bribe his silence with candy.

Puck was the best Dad.

"Now how comes your brother can sleep through you crying huh? I'll tell you why, he takes after me and he likes his sleep. You little lady, you take after your mother", Puck spoke to the now happily drinking baby.

"What's that supposed to mean?", Puck almost dropped the bottle at the sound of a heavy bag hitting the floor and his wife returning home.

Quinn walked in to the kitchen and instantly took Beth from Pucks arms along with the bottle, not breaking her feed for a second. She smiled down at the small face, "we can't have Daddy feeding you if he's going to say bad things about Mommy, can we?"

She turned to look at Puck, "is Jack awake?"

"No, he's still asleep but Russ is running about here somewhere".

She eyed him and Puck recognized the look on her face. She was trying to establish how long he'd been awake.

"Did you make those phone calls I asked you to?", he was sure she knew the answer before she asked.

"Did most of them yesterday", he said proudly.

She teased him, "well aren't you a good little husband?"

He leaned in to give her a kiss, "welcome home baby".

"Did you call the hall though?", she asked.

He saw the look on her face and simply gulped loudly, "Puckerman tell me you booked the hall".

"I'm totally on it!"

Puck moved to escape the room quickly, on the Quinn levels of anger calling him Puckerman with _that_ tone was like death con 4.

She shouted after him as he ran so he turned his head around in the doorway to say, "shhhh you don't wanna make Beth cry now, do you?"

He grinned to himself as silence followed him from the kitchen.

"Russ!", he called making his way up the stairs.

"Yeah Dad?", Russ stuck his head out of the door and then his eyes filled with panic at seeing his dad without a baby in his arms.

"Oh you're gonna get it little dude!", he yelled before chasing him into his room.

-X-

Puck sat watching 'The Lion King' with Russ slowly falling asleep on his lap. Quinn was curled up in the arm chair after putting Jack in his crib.

He leaned over and poked Quinn to draw her attention to the nearly sleeping boy.

"We can turn the film off in a minute", he said.

Not that he didn't like 'The Lion King' but it was probably the 40th or maybe 50th time he'd watched it.

"Are you kidding me? This is the best part", she said engrossed as she began singing along to Hakuna Matata.

"The Puckster did not have this in mind for a Sunday night", he whispered as he wriggled free of Russ laying him down against a cushion.

She laughed, "Ha I haven't heard you call yourself that in years. Do another one!"

He waggled his eyebrows as he sat on the arm of her chair, wrapping his arms around her, "Baby you're talking to the Puckasauras, I can go all night long".

"In your dreams Puckzilla", she responded with a evil grin and a poke to his chest.

"Oh come on maybe we can have a few more little tykes, while we're at it. You know you can't resist me and my whore lips".

"Number one if we have any more kids Sylvester will kill me..."

"Oooo buzzkill" he interrupted at the mention of Sue Sylvester's name.

"...and I may never let you touch me again", she finished.

Puck couldn't hide the sheer horror in his face, "ok no more kids. We can still have adult fun time though?" He nudged her suggestively.

"Get Russ to bed first without waking him and maybe get me a glass of wine. We'll see"

Puck leapt up from his spot and threw a finger into the air, "challenge accepted!".

He slowly crept over to the sleeping boy. Puck had flipped burgers through his senior year so with all the skills of a ex burger flipper he gently slid his now flat hands under the boys back and legs.

Most people would say this was like pulling off a band aid, do it quick, but he knew his son.

Slowly, inch by inch, he curled Russ into his arms while quietly humming the mission impossible theme.

He then tip toed towards the stairs. Looking like something out of 'The Grinch' (20 times every Christmas) he took long steps upwards, missing the creaky stair as he went.

Eventually making his way to Russ's bedroom he laid the boy carefully on the soft mattress when the sleepy child rolled over.

Puck raised a fist to silently curse the heavens as his other hand was now stuck in the tight grasp of the sleeping 5 year old.

One hug and roll later and Puck sauntered down the stairs to the kitchen.

He proudly poured a glass of wine for Quinn and grabbed a beer for himself. Strolling into the living room merrily his face fell when he saw his wife, asleep, in front of 'The Lion King'.

"No way", he put the drinks down before tickling her awake.

She woke up slapping his hands away with precision and once her eyes adjusted to the light she added a slap around the back of his head for good measure.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"The kids are in bed, now drink up and give me some loving!" he declared slipping the wine into her hand.

Puck watched as she downed it in one, sauntered over to him and straddled his lap.

"Ok Puckerman, I'm all yours"

"About time", he grinned as he pulled her in for a kiss.


	16. Rachels Return

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Hello again darlings. Oh I've missed you since... yesterday. **_

_**You can tell I'm anxious to get closer to the Finchel reunion because I can't stop writing. **_

_**Anyway thanks to my lovely reviewers as ever. **_

_**Rachel Chapter! Just a bit of Rachel returning to Lima and general Rachel celebrity fluff. Oooooo! As we get closer to the end it will be more and more Finn/Rachel chapters. Although I do love throwing in the odd Puck/Quinn ones because they are my cute couple at the moment. All married with kids etc. **_

_**Much love darlings. Finchel Forever. **_

_**-X-**_

Rachel watched people rush about as her cabbie lifted her pink luggage from the trunk. Pressing a tip into his hand she happily wheeled her way to the line for the check in desk.

Reaching for her phone she decided to text her flight buddy.

"Good morning Tina. I'm currently checking in for our flight. Where are you?"

She had barely put the phone in her pocket before it vibrated to alert her of a reply.

"Turn around"

Rachel turned her head to see a large man in a Hawaiian shirt, eating a doughnut. She was about to question Tina's gender change when she looked past the man to see Tina waving a few people back.

She reached for her phone to reply, "Good to see you Tina, talk to you soon".

"Next please", the bored woman called at check in.

"Yes that's me! Good morning", Rachel said with a grin as she reached the desk.

The woman ran through the security questions with an eye roll until her neighbor leaned over and whispered in her ear.

Suddenly the woman turned scarlet as she looked between Rachel and Rachel's passport.

"You're Rachel Berry?"

"Yes", Rachel replied not aware of what had happened as she'd been staring, fascinated, at a store that had the most beautiful bag she'd ever seen in it.

"I saw your video on E! I thought it was amazing, I can't wait to get your album"

Rachel blushed as she turned back to the woman, "oh, thank you. It's always nice to meet a fan".

"Can you sign this for me?", the woman offered her a pen and a scrap of paper.

"Of course, what's your name?"

"Claire"

Rachel wrote a quick message to 'Claire' and signed the bottom before handing it back.

The woman gushed as she looked at the piece of paper and handed Rachel her documents back, "Thank you!"

"Nice meeting you", Rachel answered with a wave of her hand as she walked away.

Rachel may have been prepared for the paparazzi everywhere but she found herself unprepared for the people. The random strangers who wanted autographs, pictures with her and generally five minutes to talk to her.

She hadn't even released the album yet but she was sure her exposure had increased tenfold from the small but loyal following she had on Broadway.

"Ready for some airport shopping?" Tina asked as she rolled her case up next to Rachel.

Rachel smiled eyeing the bag in the window again, "you bet!".

They walked together through the shops chatting amicably as they went. Tina had been working on Broadway herself and so they had found themselves growing closer over the years. Tina told Rachel when she was over the top or going full blown diva and Rachel helped Tina with lines and whenever she had a bout of low confidence.

After they both had a respectable amount of bags between them they decided to head to the first class lounge.

"Tina you will love it, we can get a massage and lunch. Or we could get brunch, and a manicure".

Tina laughed as they dodged a panicked family heading in the opposite direction, "we board in 40 minutes, we'll have time for like, one of those things. Unless we eat brunch while we have a massage or something crazy".

Rachel placed a finger to her lips thoughtfully as they handed over their first class boarding passes, "that's not a bad idea Tina".

Eventually they settled for manicures and coffees.

"Are you excited about seeing everyone?", Rachel asked sipping her coffee, wary of her newly painted nails.

"I guess, I'm not too sure about seeing Rachel again though. I can't seem to shake her", Tina replied with a wry grin.

"Well I think I'm excited about seeing everyone other than Tina", Rachel smiled back, "although I only saw Puck and Quinn a few months back when I was back home and Mercedes I saw 2 weeks ago".

Tina slapped her playfully, "you never told me that".

"It was only in passing, I bumped into her while I was in the studio actually. She was in her element. I said we'd get lunch sometime and of course I was going to invite you. But it all seems a bit pointless now we'll see them in a few days".

"She producing now right?"

Rachel pulled a face of excitement, "yes I said she's hired for next time I'm in the recording studio".

The loudspeaker boomed, "Flight LIA954 to Lima Allen County Airport. Seats 30 plus and first class only boarding at this point. I repeat at this point, aisles 30 plus and first class only please".

"Oh that's us", Rachel jumped up leaving her half drank coffee.

Tina sighed, "how are you this perky about everything? You didn't even finish your big mug of caffeine!"

"You know me Tina a balanced sleep and exercise routine as well as a general zest for life. And who could forget, we're going home!"

"Yeah I guess that's pretty cool, I haven't been home in a while. Just promise me you won't bounce around the cabin for the next hour and 40 minutes or whatever the flight is?"

Rachel linked arms as they made their way through to the plane, "Tina, Tina, Tina. I promise nothing".

-X-

Rachel had been in Lima a grand total of 2 hours and already she missed New York.

She'd been aghast at the discovery of the local vegan supermarket downsizing and she was almost inconsolable at the news that her dance studio had closed.

It had only been three months since she was last home.

But as much as the culture and diversity left a lot to be desired in Lima there was something to be said for the moment she walked into her old family home.

It was like a time machine and the feeling never ceased to amaze her every time she visited.

Her room was the same every time she came home.

Like the original Rachel Berry museum.

"So honey how is everything?", her Dad asked as he sat down with some iced tea.

Leaning into his shoulder as she spoke Rachel felt like a teenager again, "since I spoke to you on the phone last week? Oh so much has changed, I got married, bought a house in Hawaii and won another Tony".

She felt him chuckle against her, "another Tony? You really are racking them up now"

"If I had any real news it wouldn't be fair to tell you while Daddy is at work. I'd have to wait till dinner", she reasoned.

"Ok, ok spoil all my fun"

"Actually I should probably get to the hotel and unpack".

He frowned as she jumped up, "are you sure I can't convince you to stay here? Not even if I throw breakfast in bed in for free?"

"Sorry but I made a promise to stay with Tina, we have adjacent rooms, besides I swore to him I'd never tell you but Daddy makes better pancakes".

"I would say you don't have to leave yet but I think you just broke my heart", he placed a hand comically over his chest.

"Actually I was thinking of visiting Quinn at school before dinner. But never fear it will be a few short hours before you see me again".

"I'm counting down the minutes", he kissed her forehead as she left.

She jumped into her Dads car which she had sweetly asked to borrow for the day. After a pit stop at the hotel and faster than she imagined, Rachel soon found herself standing in the McKinley High parking lot.

"Wow", was all she could find in herself to mutter as the memories came flooding back. She hadn't visited the high school since graduation.

She wandered, quite aimlessly, through the halls. She knew that classes had ended but no doubt the cheerios would still be practicing, they always were.

Rachel wondered if she was classed as trespassing as she made her way to her old locker. The same one she had every year. Running her hand over it she almost felt like that 16 year old girl again, slamming her locker to find someone standing behind it.

Everyone had loved doing that to her, her height made it so much easier to get away with.

Rachel turned on her heels and began to walk to the football field where the cheerios would be practicing but was distracted by a sound. Although muffled through a door it was very clearly someone singing 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina', and they were off key.

She pressed her nose up against the glass to the choir room watching Mr. Schue reassure the girl before uttering his catchphrase, "ok from the top".

It looked like glee club but it was all wrong. It was all wrong because Noah Puckerman wasn't sitting in the back flexing his muscles, the cheerios weren't sitting in their clique making jokes about people (usually Rachel) and there was no Kurt and Rachel fighting for solos. There was no M...

"Is that... Rachel? Rachel Berry?"

Rachel was snapped out of her imaginings by Mr. Schuester's voice and she whipped her head down out of sight.

Good going Rachel, now he'll never know you are there.

The door opened and Rachel felt all the eyes in the room on her as she crouched where the door had been.

"Rachel, it is you!"

She straightened up and took in the sight that was her old glee teacher. He had aged but in all the right places, only a few gray hairs here and a few extra lines on his face there.

"Mr. Schuester what a surprise!", she exclaimed.

"Please call me Will, you're not a student anymore and you're standing outside my choir room. I'm the one that's surprised".

She laughed nervously, "right, right! Well I am in town visiting my fathers and I thought I'd stop by to see Quinn and well... I couldn't help overhear", she leaned in to whisper, "you know how sensitive my ears are to imperfections".

He raised one eyebrow before laughing at her. She supposed he appreciated that she whispered her comments now.

"Please come in, the kids would love to meet you I'm sure. You are, after all, a big star now".

That was it, she was roped in now. Rachel could never resist a compliment.

She walked into the room to have all twenty five faces stare at her. She found herself slightly proud of how far they had come since scraping to make twelve members.

"Guys, this is Rachel..."

"Berry. The Rachel Berry, standing in our choir room. Oh My God! I saw you in Oklahoma two years ago when my parents took me to the big city and you were fantastic. Perfect actually", a redheaded girl in the front row spoke alarmingly quickly.

"Rachel Berry? Like the one they've been talking about on E! all week?", a suddenly interested girl in the back now chimed in.

"The one and only", Mr. Schue clapped his hands on her shoulders as the students 'oooo' and 'ahhh' over having a celebrity in their midst.

Rachel smiled at the treatment. The star treatment she had fought for 8 years ago but actually deserved now.

"Well I should really be going, I have to go meet a friend of mine and..."

"No please Rachel. You _could_ actually help us out, we're preparing Cynthia's solo for regionals but she could use a little guidance. I know it's unexpected but, would you mind?"

Mr. Schue ushered a hand to the center of the room and Rachel felt every pair of eyes bore into her expectantly.

She threw Mr. Schue a glance of annoyance. This was her pay back for the imperfection comment.

He knew she never missed an opportunity to perform.

At least that's what she told herself as she turned to the piano and muttered, "you know my key Brad".

The painfully eager girl in the front gasped.

The music began and just like that the last 8 years never happened.

She was back in her old choir room with her old teacher and these kids around her? They were her glee club.

Rachel almost felt like she was standing in a skirt and bunny shirt rather than the skinny jeans and blazer she was wearing.

She opened her mouth and began singing the iconic song from Evita, which she perfected on Broadway the year before.

There was no other sound besides her singing. No muttering, no comments. They just sat in silence as she sang.

Loud applause broke out with the last notes of the music and Rachel took a bow.

"Thanks Mr. Shue", she saw him open his mouth, "I just don't think 'Will' sounds right. So yes, thanks for having me everyone and it was a pleasure. I'm sure you're going to win regionals. How can you not? You're McKinley High. So erm thanks but I really have to go".

Rachel fumbled over her words uncharacteristically as she rushed out of the room realising, as the music ended, that it was not her glee club and it was not 8 years ago.

"I shouldn't have done that", Rachel muttered to herself as she left.

She heard Mr. Schue gloss over her exit and begin to lecture the kids on what was right with the performance as she closed the choir room door and turned around to see Quinn Puckerman.

"Quinn, I was just coming to see you!"

Quinn smiled her classic smirk, "I heard you as I was leaving and I thought to myself there's only one person who sings like that".

Rachel pounced forward and crushed the taller woman in a hug, she felt Quinn return the favor as she laughed.

"Get lost on the way to the football field huh Berry?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Don't you start, it's that husband of yours, he's a terrible influence. It's Rachel and _that_ was just a detour".

"Berry is surely better than RuPaul?", Quinn teased as they began walking to the parking lot together.

Rachel considered that for a moment.

"I guess you're right Puckerman"

Quinn turned to her with a pout, "now that's just mean".


	17. Finns Struggle

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Ok guys so this is the first time Finn is seeing Rachel in the flesh in six years. Before anyone asks yes he's struggling.**_

_**Poor Finny. Anyway muchos love to my reviewers and also I haven't mentioned them in a while so just wanted to say thanks to those peeps that are adding the story to favorites and story alerting. I don't wanna forget you guys so thanks and I'm glad you're still reading.**_

_**Anyway I know this isn't the big romantic Finchel reunion you're all holding your breath for but trust me, the love is there and Finchel is upon us! **_

_**Much love darlings. Don't Stop Believing... in Finchel!**_

_**-X- **_

"UNCLE FINN!", Russ screamed at the top of his lungs.

Finn looked up the staircase to where Russ stood on the top step.

"Why are you not already down here and giving me a hug?", he asked as the boy ran down the stairs at full pelt and jumped off the last few steps.

Finn squeezed Russ in his arms, "you've gotta lay off the Cheetos little man. I won't be able to lift you soon".

Russ looked offended as Finn put him down, "you're such a liar uncle Finn, look how big you are!".

Finn laughed as Quinn told the boy to mind his manners and Puck nudged him in the shoulder.

"Come on".

He followed Puck up the stairs and into a room that must have been Pucks den because the room had a futon in front of a large TV screen, a mini fridge, a games console and most importantly a lock on the door.

"Seriously you lock the kids out?", Finn asked as he slumped onto the futon.

"Only on Tuesday and Thursday nights after seven", Puck winked.

Finn laughed unexpectedly, "if you and Quinn ever split up make sure you get your manhood back in the divorce".

"Whatever dude, I gots me a wife and kids", he said throwing a controller to Finn, "and you will be begging to hide in this room by the end of the week".

"And why's that smart guy?", Finn asked as they waited for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 to load.

"Because Quinn has gone crazy. Berry crazy. Since Rachel has been in town they've been organizing this party and glee thing together. Quinn is making Rachel look sane. I think since she had the twins the baby hormones stuck around and she's more susceptible to going insane".

Finns thumb fumbled off the shoot button and Puck took the opportunity to take him out with a head shot.

"Nice shot man, got any cold ones? So when did Rachel get into town?", Finn blurted out.

"Smooth man. You should give lessons in pretending you don't care. She's been in town since Tuesday".

Finn tried to concentrate on the game but his mind kept thinking about Rachel. She was already in Lima. Her and Quinn were party planning together...

"So if Quinns downstairs does that mean...?", Finn trailed off hoping he wouldn't have to say her name out loud again.

"Yeah the superstar herself will probably be here at some point today. Oh and yeah I forgot to tell you there's a glee rehearsal tomorrow, apparently doing the number on the fly on Saturday just 'isn't acceptable'", Puck threw air quotes around the last part with his controller still in one hand.

Finn felt his throat tighten.

At some point today. She could be on her way here right now?

Finn didn't like this one bit, he knew he'd have to face her eventually but he hoped he could put it off for as long as possible.

It was bad enough that she wouldn't get out of his head since he saw that stupid music video, the last thing he needed was to spend any amount of time with her.

At least at the party he could mingle, avoid her as much as possible and anytime she did speak to him he wouldn't be able to hear her over the music.

Finn refused to be sucked in again.

He quickly ran his character out in front of Puck allowing Puck to kill him with the winning shot.

"What's up? Nobody is dumb enough to pull that move"

Finn got up and dropped the controller on his now empty seat, "I think I should probably make a move. I said I'd spend some time with my mom today before we have a family dinner tonight".

He knew Puck knew why he didn't want to be there.

But luckily Puck decided not to mention it.

And Finn figured Puck had listened to enough of him whining about Rachel in high school.

"Sure thing man, you haven't been back for like a year or something so I guess your mom is pretty psyched to see you".

Finn nodded and Puck got up to show him out, when they reached the bottom of the stairs Russ pulled his face away from the TV to see Finn leaving.

"Uncle Finn, where are you going?" Russ asked with curiosity in his voice but his body stayed squished into his seat.

"Don't worry I'll be back tomorrow maybe, but my mom wants to see me", Finn said as he put his jacket on.

He watched the boys face scrunch up as it returned to look at the TV, "eugh is she gonna give you a big kiss like my mom does to me?"

"Probably but it's better than a kiss from grandma Puckerman, right?"

Puck turned his head at the mention of his mother and yelled, "what did you say Hudson?"

Finn ran out of the door and stood at the end of the path tauntingly, "sorry I forgot how much you love your moms big sloppy kisses".

Puck chased him and Finn just about locked the door to his truck in time as Puck began furiously trying to open it while shaking a fist at him through the glass.

Russ made it to the doorway to say, "but Dad grandmas kisses are wet and sloppy!".

Finn roared with laughter as Puck then made to chase Russ who shut the door on him. Finn stayed to see Puck bang on the door for five minutes until Quinn opened it with a frown on her face.

Eventually driving away Finn didn't drive to his mothers but instead circled the block and parked down the street.

Just far away enough to see a car pull up at Pucks house twenty minutes later. A car that was frequently parked at the Berry's and was probably borrowed from her father.

He just about made out a small figure get out of the car and walking inside before he quit torturing himself and drove away.

-X-

Finn pulled up at the hall that had been hired for Mr. Schues surprise birthday.

How they were gonna get him here without him knowing apparently Finn had no idea but apparently Quinn had it all figured out.

There were an unusual amount of cars parked outside for 3pm on a Friday afternoon which meant that Finn was probably the last one here.

Not that he'd planned to be late or anything.

He just figured if he did run a little late it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, maybe _everyone_ would be too busy to talk to him.

He locked up his truck silently blessing his mom for keeping it all these years.

The door to the hall was open and he could hear voices inside.

"We'll just have to start without him", he heard Quinn moan.

"He's one of the male leads!", Rachel threw back.

"Hey Finns here", Puck said with relief as he spotted Finn and jogged over, "if you ever leave me with both of these two when they're sorting something like this out again, I'll kill you".

The last part was conveniently muttered under his breath as Puck led him over to the gathering of people.

"Well at least we can start now", Puck said as Quinn ran up on the the stage area and Rachel followed quickly behind her.

Quinn beamed as she spoke, "Ok everyone, so as we all know it's Schues 40th birthday tomorrow and we're throwing a little surprise party for him, Rachel...", she motioned for her to continue.

"...but the added surprise is the reunion of his first glee club. Obviously not everyone could make it on such sort notice. Sam is stuck in Europe, Matt couldn't make it because of family commitments and erm", she cleared her throat nervously, "Jesse was unavailable. Anyway, moving on, Quinn and I have put together a number and Brittany and Mike helped us arrange some choreography earlier this week so we're just here today to put it all together for tomorrow!"

Finn kept his eyes trained on Rachel as she spoke. Particularly as she spoke about Jesse.

He couldn't help but smile a little.

A smile he quickly forced from his face.

No Finn, she crushed you once before.

Quinn then gave out sheet music while Rachel spoke to Mike about something across the room.

He looked down at the paper now in his hands and smiled, he hadn't heard this song in years.

"I hate to steal Schues line guys but, from the top", Quinn said with a wave of her hand over the stage area.

Despite the years since high school it didn't take long for the 11 adults to fall back into the old routine of working through a number with each other.

So far Rachel was over the other side of the stage, the basic choreography set up as a boys vs girls vibe but she was singing female lead.

The male lead was a bigger part so although Finn was sharing it with Puck and Artie he knew there would be a moment when they would have to sing together.

And as yet he hadn't heard her sing, they'd just been doing the steps and miming.

But everyone knew there was something spine tingling about Rachel singing live.

Willing himself to focus he quickly found himself inches from Rachel as she danced with Quinn and Santanna behind her in a 'V' formation.

He mimicked what Mike was showing him so that he threw a gang sign at the girls as he mimed the song and they gasped comically then Rachel pretending to slap him before Puck came in for the next lines.

Being that close to her had almost been too much to Finn.

He had spent 6 years forgetting her and in 6 seconds he almost ran out the door with Rachel Berry over his shoulder.

"Ok guys I think we're ready for a run through!", Quinn shouted over the chatter that had broken out among a few of them. Finn noticed Rachel talking animatedly with Tina.

He'd never seen her talk to Tina that much before.

It saddened him a little that she might have and probably had changed over the years and he had no idea.

"Hey frankenteen!"

"Artie, my man. How you been?", Finn said as he threw Artie a high five.

"Good you know, I'm married now. Got a steady job, might start a family in a few years. What about you Mister Big Time Football Coach?"

Finn absently looked up at Rachel but quickly looked back at Artie, "Living the dream and all that. Nice apartment, campus hero. I actually rock the coaching stuff so yeah".

Apparently the look didn't get past Artie, "still hung up on her?"

"What? No!... Who?", Finn backtracked badly as Brittany walked over to Artie and whispered in his ear before kissing him on the cheek.

"Have you got taller?", she asked Finn before not waiting for an answer and walking away.

"You're married to Brittany?", Finn asked.

Artie nodded with a smile, "don't act so shocked we were dating in high school but anyway we were talking about you still being gooey eyes for..."

"Rachel!", Finn shouted to shut Artie up as she appeared.

She smiled sweetly at Finn before speaking, "Guys, Quinn really wants to get on with this run through. Can you take your places?"

"Sure Rachel", Artie smiled at Finn as he wheeled away.

She stood there for a moment averting her gaze almost... was that shyly?

Since when was Rachel shy?

He didn't know what she was waiting for but it was a awkward moment before she nodded silently and walked over to her spot on the opposite side of the stage.

As he turned to take his place he wondered if maybe she was waiting for him to say something.

Well Rachel Berry was not going to wrap him around her finger that easily.

He was Finn Hudson. He had forgotten her once. He could do it again.

He just had to get through this damn song and party thing and then fly home.

His safe home, miles away from her and from Lima and from the memories.

He could totally do that.

He turned to look at her as the music started.

Finn hoped he could do that.


	18. Rachels Performance

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Hey guys. New chapter. Huzzah. Not too sure about this one. I was debating not detailing the song and stuff but I kinda really wanted to and also this chapter is required for the next chapter. Oh lordy is it ever. **_

_**Yeah as ever I love my peeps. Reviewers, Story alerts/favorites. You guys are my hommies. You keep me wanting to write and in general you guys are just the bees knees. **_

_**Anyway Rachy chapter. We're so close. I'm thinking (and don't hold me to this) but I've got another 3 or 4 chapters in me or something. Debating epilogue also. We'll see. But yeah very exciting. **_

_**Much love. Finchel for president! **_

_**-X-**_

Rachel sat on her hotel room bed with bags of junk food surrounding her.

She had a spoon wedged in a pint of vegan ice cream and in her other hand was the remote, wildly trying to find something to watch on the TV.

"Rachel?", Tina knocked on the door as she opened it.

"Yes?" Rachel answered sweetly uncaring about the ice cream smeared on her upper lip.

Tina stepped into the room and stared for a moment at the scene before her.

"Oh no. No, Rachel NO!" Tina yelled as she lunged for the tub in Rachel's lap.

As Tina fumbled, Rachel used the chance to escape to the other opposite side of the bed.

Tina circled the end of the bed slowly to chase her but faked and grabbed Rachel by the foot as she made a leap back over the bed. Rachel fell back onto the bed still clutching the tub of ice cream.

"Rachel you'll only regret this. Remember last year? You ate your own weight in ice cream and then felt too bloated to fit into that dress for the Tonys".

"That beautiful, prefect, red dress", Rachel drawled taking another spoonful in her mouth.

"Why are you binging anyway?", Tina asked holding her hand out.

Rachel looked into Tina's brown eyes and regretfully handed over the tub.

"I'm just sad. I don't know why I just... I just am".

It wasn't a complete lie. Rachel only _kind_ of knew why.

Finn Hudson.

It happened the moment he walked in. This feeling.

Rachel couldn't figure it out. Had she always felt that way when Finn walked into a room? If she had how had she ever dated Jesse? Was Rachel Berry that good a actress that she fooled herself?

And then she shied away from him, unable to handle what we going on inside her own head. She'd stood there silently waiting for him to say something and when he didn't she retreated.

She gave up.

But she had to, her heart was beating so loudly she feared he may have heard it.

The feeling took her back to being 16, to first hearing Finn Hudson sing and being smitten.

However while she was there, in her own little flashback, she remembered the hurt he put her through before them pledging friendship with each other.

He hadn't been her friend in the last year of high school. He'd shunned her, avoided her, barely looked at her. The moment they graduated she never heard from him again.

Not until he wandered in late to the glee rehearsal today.

Rachel was annoyed, frustrated, besotted, confused, curious, lonely, panicking and sad.

And she certainly didn't appreciate having her emotions toyed with the night before a performance. She had a reputation to uphold now.

She just couldn't get a hold of herself. She hadn't thought about anyone even remotely romantically in a year now. She hadn't dared.

Yet here she was moaning into her mounds of junk food because she thinks she might, maybe like a boy that she used to like in High School.

She was pathetic.

Rachel looked over at Tina who was now eating _her_ ice cream.

"If I'd had known you were going to come in here and make a scene only to steal my ice cream and eat it yourself I would have got two pints".

Tina curled up next to her. "I suppose we can share", she held it just out of reach, "only if you tell me why you're sad".

"If I could figure it out for myself exactly, I'd tell you. Instead I think we should put a movie on and eat these plentiful snacks while I repress whatever feelings I have", she waved her hand across the grocery bags of snacks.

"I don't know if that's entirely healthy but I can't pass up a movie night!", Tina nudged Rachel in the ribs as she grabbed the remote and found a movie channel showing 'She's All That'.

Great! Rachel thought with a sigh as she reached for some chips, just what I need, a poplar-boy-meets-unpopular-girl-and-they-fall-in-love film.

-X-

"I never thought I'd see the day that you grew out of those hideous outfits Rachel but this week and tonight especially, seeing you dress yourself, away from the stylists of New York? Well it melts my heart", Kurt said as he dabbed a fake tear from his cheek.

"Thank you Kurt. Through all our years of friendship I'm glad you finally approve of what I'm wearing".

Kurt scoffed, "approve? I never said that".

Rachel shook her head as Kurt spotted Mercedes and walked away.

Suddenly Quinn's voice boomed out of the sound system, "ok guys I just got the nod, Schuester is going to be here in 30 seconds so everyone... hide as best you can, we're going to turn the lights down in a second and glee guys make sure you're hiding some where near the stage please".

Rachel hurried over to the stage and said, "Quinn he's going to be so surprised you've done such a good job", before crouching behind a chair.

The lights dimmed to eventual darkness and the music stopped. It was almost eerie.

"You can't see through that, can you?", Emma could be heard saying.

"I don't get what the big deal is, we're going to Breadsticks", Will replied.

"Ohh shush".

The door creaked open and the sound was the only real way of telling they had entered. Rachel heard the door close again and was thankful it was so noisy as she couldn't see a thing.

"Ok I'm taking off the blindfold", Emma said a little louder than normal.

The lights were thrown back on and everyone screamed, "SURPRISE!"

Rachel watched as his eyes adjusted to the light, as he read the 'Happy 40th Birthday' banner and as he realized he had a surprise party.

His face was shocked beyond belief and the music kicked in again as he began to greet the guests.

"Ok I'll go get everyone together and you can make the announcement", Quinn said quickly to Rachel.

"No Quinn you put this together, yes I helped but it was still you. You should be the one to do it".

"Listen Berry you and I both know that you are going to do the speech. So just get up there and do it!", with that Quinn walked away leaving Rachel no choice.

She made her way to the stage taking a mic from the DJ as she did.

The music faded out.

"Excuse me", everyone turned to look at her. Rachel felt more comfortable with everyone watching her. She was safer in front of a crowd.

"As I'm sure you all know today is Will Schuester's 40th birthday. Mr. Schue, as we all like to call him, is the reason a lot of us are where we are today, he adopted the McKinley High glee club 9 years ago when I was a sophomore and he brought us together. In honor of his birthday and all that he did for us, his first glee club has formed a reunion and we've put together a number for him. Guys if you please...?"

As she leaned over to hand the mic back to the DJ the rest of the original New Directions took their places.

The backing track they had arranged started to play and a single beat pumped out as Artie opened his mouth.

"Go, go, go, go, go, go. Go shawty, it's your birthday. We gonna party like it's your birthday. We gonn' sip Barcardi like it's your birthday. And you know we only here cause it's your birthday!"

A new beat switched over the top almost immediately and Rachel stepped forward, "I gotta feeling. That tonights gonna be a good night. That tonights gonna be a good good night"

Puck jumped in to the front and suddenly the choreography was in swing as he started singing, "Tonights the night. Let's live it up. I got my money. Let's spend it up. Go out and smash. Like oh my god. Jump off that sofa. Let's get, get off".

Rachel pushed Puck out of the way and he comically fell backwards, as the girls took the front of the stage and she sang, "I know that we'll have a ball. If we get down and go out and just lose it all. I feel stressed out I wanna let it go. Let's go way out spaced and losing all control".

Finn suddenly appeared. Rachel was sure pretty sure she hadn't seen him at all this evening, till then. "Fill up my cup. Mazel tov. Look at her dancing", he threw down his gang sign towards her as he sang the next line, "Just take it, off!". Rachel fake slapped him and she heard everyone laugh as Finn continued. "Let's paint the town. We'll shut it down. Let's burn the roof".

Rachel moved back among the girls, "And then we'll do it again".

Puck, Finn and Artie now huddled singing to each other, "Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, and do it. And do it. Let's live it up. And do it, and do it, and do it. Do it. Let's do it".

All the girls came in harmonizing now, "Cos I gotta feeling. That tonights gonna be a good night. That tonights gonna be a good night. Tonight's gonna be a good good night. I gotta a feeling, that tonights gonna be a good night. That tonights gonna be a good night. Tonight's gonna be a good good night"

Artie raised his hands as he sang, "Tonights the night. Let's live it up. I got my money. Let's spend it up. Go out and Smash. Like oh my god. Jump off that sofa. Let's get, get off".

Puck slid in to the front and fell to his knees as he continued, "Fill up my cup"

"Drink", Artie shouted.

"Mazel tov", Puck remained on his knees.

"Lahyme!", Rachel added. Puck had insisted that as a fellow Jew she shout that line.

"Look at her dancing. Just take it, off", Puck pointed at Quinn as he sang, "Let's paint the town. We'll shut it down. Let's burn the roof".

Quinn held Pucks hand as he remained on his knees and she sang to him, "And then we'll do it again".

Finn came in for his final solo, "Here we come, here we go. We gotta rock. Easy come, easy go. Now we on top. Feel the shot, body rock, rock it. Don't stop. Round and round, up and down, around the clock".

Artie cut in, "Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Friday, Saturday, Saturday to Sunday. Get, get, get get with us, you know what we say. Party Everyday. P-p-p-party everyday".

All 11 of them now came together to share in the last lines, "And I'm feeling, that tonights gonna be a good night. That tonights gonna be a good night . Tonight's gonna be a good good night. That tonights gonna be a good night. That tonights gonna be a good night. Tonight's gonna be a good good night".

"Woooo hooo". Mercedes had said at rehearsal that it was tradition she 'wail on the last note'.

The room broke out into applause and they shouted, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. SCHUE!" in ear splitting unison.

More applause followed and the DJ switched the music back on.

Rachel leapt from the stage with the others and Mr. Schue called them all to huddle up. His face was still frozen in surprise.

"Guys that was amazing!", he yelled.

"No worries Schuester, happy birthday", Puck yelled back as Mr. Schue was dragged away to see other guests.

Rachel watched him go before turning to get a refreshment for her delicate throat.

As she turned for the bar she walked straight into the chest of Finn.

"Oh my sorry Finn I was a little distracted and yes, sorry. Won't happen again".

"That's ok Rach", he mumbled to the floor.

He called her Rach and she was never more happy not to hear Rachel.

"So Finn, how have you been?", she asked hopefully. Hoping for what she wasn't quite sure.

He raised his head and made eye contact with her. She wasn't quite sure what emotion she saw behind his eyes but at that moment she was pretty sure eye contact had been what she was hoping for.

"Good thanks, yeah, erm actually can I have a quick word with you outside?", Rachel was sure she heard a 'oooo' from somewhere as she nodded and followed him.

Her mind raced as she wondered what had brought this on.

It was only as they got closer to the door that someone called her name distracting her and Finn.

They both looked over to the man who had called her and Rachel recognized him instantly.

She ran up to him without thinking and wrapped her arms around him for a hug, "David! What are you doing here?" she screamed.

**_-A extra note-_**

**_Obviously I have no copyright on the songs blah blah blah the songs being (a snippet) from 'In Da Club' by 50 Cent and 'I Gotta Feeling' by The Black Eyed Peas. _**


	19. Finns Breakfast

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Hi Guys. What can I say? We've had a good run. This isn't my last chapter, I'm not breaking up with you quite yet it's just this is the chapter I think a lot of you have been waiting for and I just hope I did it justice. Because this is where the story has been leading and I hope nobody is disappointed. I know I had fun writing it. **_

_**This chapter picks up right where the last one finished so Rachel just ran into David (her agent). It's a Finn chapter and I think it shows the fine line between love and hate. I'll say no more on that. **_

_**I will tell you that there is a swear in this chapter! Oooh naughty. Anyway just warning you a certain 'F' word is in here. I'm sure you're all mature enough to handle it and it is a T rated story after all but don't say I didn't warn you. Also I think you'll be surprised who says it! :o**_

_**Much love to everybody reading this story. You're all awesome. **_

_**Without further ado, the chapter.**_

_**Long live Finchel**_

_**-X-**_

You're an idiot Hudson.

Don't get sucked in, that's all you had to do. Instead what happens? You ask her outside to talk because you can't resist and she can't even make it to the door without running into the arms of another man.

Why does this always happen? And always to you?

Rachel Berry, that's why.

She's the devil.

Finn watched her as she turned back to look at him while his startled expression had now become a look of contempt.

"Don't worry about it Rachel", he said not loud enough for her to hear across the room but loud enough that he knew he'd said it.

Her face was confused as Finn turned and walked out of the door slamming it as he went.

Forcing his anger into slamming the door hadn't worked in calming him down like he'd hoped it would. Even the fresh air and quiet of the night did nothing.

He was angry at her for once again shunning him aside. He was angry at her for what she'd done all those years ago but mostly? He was angry with himself.

Always falling for it. Always falling for _her_.

Hadn't she shown that she didn't really care about him in High School? Why couldn't he get the message?

He slammed a fist into the hood of his truck, the loud clang of the metal echoing through the air.

"Really Finn is that anyway to behave...?", Rachel stormed out of the door but was stopped by the sound of him abusing his truck.

"Go back inside Rachel", he said not bothering to look at her.

It was exhausting to look at her.

Apparently Rachel still didn't take orders from anybody because she marched over to him regardless.

"NO I will not Finn. You ask me out here, practically the first time you've said anything to me in YEARS and then you throw a fit because I see David. What right do you have to act like this? What possible reason explains your behavior?"

He rubbed his fingers on his temples but it did nothing to stop the angry word vomit, "You want a reason Rachel? 6 and a half years. That's how long it's taken me to FORGET YOU EVER EXISTED. You knew, YOU KNEW that I was into you back then, you knew and you still went with him. St. Jackass. But then I see you again this week and it's like it all happened yesterday. And then I ask you to talk and you can't make it 30 seconds without running off to some other guy. Like you always do. And I hate you. I hate you so much. I hate that I can't forget about you because you always come back and I hate myself for feeling like this over someone who clearly couldn't care less. So you know what Rachel? Leave me alone"

Rachel looked up at him with glassy eyes. He could see she was on the verge of full blown tears.

What he didn't see coming was the hand that slapped him, hard, across the cheek.

"Go fuck yourself Finn Hudson. That other man? He's my agent, I was shocked to see him in town because he's meant to be in New York but he wanted to surprise me and see me perform with my old glee club because I DON'T SHUT UP ABOUT THEM. But bravo, you forgot I existed. That really shows how much I meant to you, doesn't it? And don't you dare pin this on me, you broke my heart Finn all while you had some other girl pregnant. So excuse me for thinking you chasing after me while I was with Jesse was just you wanting what you couldn't have. It just seems funny that I wanted you so badly but I was still your friend while you played baby daddy, but the minute you don't like that I'm with someone else, bam. You ignore me, like you never knew me. Some friend you were. So you want to bring up the past? Talk your way out of that one you genetically modified giant!"

He watched her gasp for air after unloading on him. Finn couldn't work out what he was more shocked by, the slap or the fact that she had said 'fuck'.

Rachel Berry just told him to fuck himself.

He couldn't find words for the flurry of emotions tearing him up. He felt relief at 'David' only being her agent. Guilt at his past behavior. Anger at her for still not saying sorry.

She began walking back to the door to go inside, but turned just her head to speak, softly this time, looking at the floor as she did.

"Oh and since we're bringing up the past, Jesse? He proposed just over a year ago. I turned him down. As cliche as it sounds I loved him but I just wasn't in love with him. He wasn't the one. Yesterday after seeing you again I actually fooled myself into thinking that maybe you were the one. That maybe I was right about you all those years ago when I first heard you sing and fell for you but you know what? Thank you. Thank you for letting me know how you really feel. You hate me and that's ok because right now I hate you".

Finn saw a tear trickle down her cheek as she finished and continued to walk.

Without thinking his feet carried him after her, "no you don't get to do that".

He spun her around by the tops of her arms holding her in place as she pushed against him, "you don't get to turn this on me, make me out to be the bad guy. You don't get to..."

His lips crashed upon hers.

It felt like nothing else. The torment inside of him washed away. Her lips felt like they locked in place perfectly, made to be kissed by him.

Her hands that were pushing him away now crept around his neck pulling him down, closer, deeper. He moved his hands from her shoulders to her back and then her waist. Feeling her perfect sized waist between his hands like the most natural thing in the world.

Their tongues dueled and neither lost but both won, the kiss growing longer and more intense.

When they pulled away she muttered under her breath, "I still hate you Finn Hudson" but he saw the real emotion behind her eyes.

Lust. Want. Desire.

Everything he was feeling in that same second.

He looked at her as she bit her lower hip, her perfect lower lip. Bruised from the sudden onslaught but beautifully red and swollen.

"I'm staying at...", he began not really sure what he was saying.

"I've got a hotel room", she said quickly.

They kissed again, this time she wrapped her legs around him as he picked her up and carried her to his truck.

-X-

Finn opened his eyes and as they adjusted to the light he cursed whoever had opened the blinds.

Looking around he slowly came to realize he was in a unfamiliar bed, naked.

Flashbacks of the night before came back to him and brought a smile to his face.

A smile that was wiped away with his second realization of the morning, he was alone.

He listened for the sound of the shower, the TV, anything, but there was nothing. She wasn't there.

Finn tried not to think about what that meant but instead began scouring the room with his eyes. Smirking with the knowledge that he hadn't seen much of it in the dark last night, he could now see that in the week she'd been here Rachel had set up a base of operations. Shoes lined one wall entirely, outfit choices hung on the closet door and a pink laptop sat on the desk. He would have known it was her room in an instant.

He heard the door knob twist and he fell back onto the bed. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing.

"Finn?", she breathed as she came in.

When he didn't reply she carefully shut the door and snuck back into the room. He could smell the coffee and breakfast she had returned with.

"So I really should go", he peaked out of the bottom of one eye and saw her on the phone as she sat, with her back to him, on the end of the bed.

"Shut up you big idiot. No, I'm not saying anything about anything", she continued to whisper into the phone.

"Ok I've got to go. Byeee".

Finn saw his opportunity and pounced.

He leapt up and grabbed her around her chest pulling her gently backwards onto the bed.

She screamed louder than he could of imagined and then something flashed in her eyes before she clamped her hands over her mouth.

"What?" he asked with a grin.

Rachel frowned at him. "Well first of all I thought you were asleep and second of all I just screamed and Tina is in the room next door".

Almost on cue a frantic knocking at the door followed.

Rachel ran to the door and shoed him away with a wave of her hand. Finn wrapped the sheets around him and ran to the bathroom where he could still hear them talk.

"Rachel are you ok?", he heard Tina pant.

"Yes, yes. Erm, sorry about that, I thought I saw a spider".

Tina's tone became suspicious and frustrated, "you thought you saw a spider? You woke me up! I thought you were being murdered"

Rachel laughed falsely, "you know how I overreact to these things. But thank you for coming Tina, I'll see you later".

"But Rachel I'm sure...", he didn't hear anything else Tina said because the next thing he heard was Rachel push the door shut.

Finn walked out with the sheets wrapped around his waist and his chest puffed out with pride as he saw Rachel stop to stare at him momentary.

"Are you trying to keep me a secret Rach?" he asked cockily as he wandered back to the bed.

She laughed, "a pretty big secret to try and hide". Rachel handed him a breakfast muffin filled with sausage and egg, a coffee and sat down opposite him with her own drink. "Actually I didn't want to tell anyone anything because we haven't really... well we didn't really talk much last night about... anything so I wasn't sure".

He took a bite of his breakfast and was eternally grateful for it.

She must have taken his silence as him thinking rather than him eating because she carried on talking.

"Because I need you to understand I don't want you to feel obliged to do anything or say anything but I think you should know how I feel. Although last night was wonderful..."

Finn felt like he'd swallowed a lead weight as he swallowed his mouth full of breakfast. Was she trying to let him down easy?

"... it doesn't change the fact that a lot of things were said last night in the heat of the moment and perhaps they are things that we need to talk about before we go any further. If we go any further".

"If?" was all he managed to murmur. He honestly was a little lost for words. In his simple mind things had been simple, hadn't last night meant something?

"I only say if because I don't know what you're feeling Finn. We both said some rather nasty things last night and those issues definitely need dealing with. But nothing changes the fact that I have feelings for you Finn", she paused mulling something over, "heck I'll be the first one to say it, I think I love you Finn Hudson".

He thought his head might explode as he watched her cheeks blush a rosy color.

Finn couldn't believe what had just happened. He'd spent the night with Rachel. His Rachel. The one he'd longed after all that time ago. She'd brought him breakfast in bed and now she said what he'd spent most of High School wishing she'd say.

"Rach, I..."

"It's ok if you don't feel the same way Finn".

"No it's not that it's just..."

"I hurt you too badly in the past?", she bit her lip again.

"Would you let me speak?", he said finally finding his voice.

She nodded silently.

He reached over and cupped her face with one hand, keeping her eyes level with his, so she could see that he meant what he was about to say.

"It's always been you Rach".

In an instant Rachel was on him, kissing him.

It _almost_ made Finn regret saying it. He was so incredibly hungry and with his mouth preoccupied he could almost feel his breakfast going cold.

But he had waited years to have a make out session with Rachel.

That's why it was only _almost_ a shame about his muffin.


	20. Quinns Discovery

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**First of all, Golden Globes. Amazing. Chris was amazingly sweet, Glee won best TV comedy again! Sweet! And oh my Lea Michele's dress was beautiful. I know a lot of stuff gets said about her (including in Jane's acceptance speech!) but she looked stunning. **_

_**Anyway I'm prattling now. So this is a fun chapter I think. Quinn the detective. Oh yeah the first part of this chapter is still at the party so it's Quinn after the Finchel disappearance. **_

_**We're near the end. Oh it hurts to think it's almost over. **_

_**Thank you for those of your who left reviews on the last chapter, it was nice to hear some good stuff as I know the Finchel union has been a long time coming. **_

_**Anyway onwards and upwards. Much love. Live long and Finchel! **_

_**-X-**_

Quinn looked furiously around the room.

Among the dancing, the mingled groups of people talking and the tables she still couldn't see either of them.

They had left to 'talk' over 30 minutes ago.

"Mercedes, you saw Rachel leave didn't you?"

Mercedes turned to look at Quinn from her conversation with some young, suited guy.

"The Diva? Yeah she stormed out after Mr Diva Pants, I dunno maybe like half an hour ago".

"Mr Diva Pants?"

"Yeah, didn't you see? Finn threw a fit and slammed his way outta the party and Rachel ran after him looking like she was gonna kill him".

Quinn was taken aback at the news of them causing a scene, she had gone to the the small kitchen in the back of the hall after seeing them walk away, to check on the cake.

The man Mercedes was talking to leaned over, "I'm sorry are you talking about my Rachel?"

Quinn looked at him properly for the first time, "your Rachel?"

Mercedes smiled at him, "yeah your Rachel. David this is Quinn. Quinn this is David, Rachel's agent".

The man held out his hand which Quinn shook slowly.

"Hi David. I don't suppose you know where Rachel is?"

"No, this erm Finn everyone keeps talking about? She ran out after him, told me she had unfinished business and that it was about time it _was_ finished. She hasn't been back since then".

"Should we be worried?", Mercedes asked Quinn.

"Worried? Do you know Rachel at all? She is the queen of storm outs. Three weeks ago she stormed out of a Starbucks because they were out of soy milk, besides she's a big girl", David interjected.

Quinn looked to the exit door worriedly but Mercedes simply laughed at Davids story and returned to their interrupted conversation.

As Quinn made her way to the door and reached for the handle she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Baby where have you been?"

She turned to see her obviously drunk husband giving her 'the eye'.

"Oh great so I get to look after you as well as the kids when we get home".

"Are we going home?", he asked clearly upset at the idea of leaving early.

She patted her hand lightly on Pucks face to gain his complete focus. "No, I'm just going to see if Rachel and Finn are out here, remember Finn? Your buddy?"

"Finnigan!", he yelled raising his hands to the sky.

She rolled her eyes and opened the door, the chill of the night sweeping in and making her a shiver. Puck in his drunken idiocy followed her as she stepped outside but tripped down the small step.

"He's not here babe, I thought you said Finnnny was out here?"

She looked around disappointed to find no sign of them. She had a party waiting on birthday cake and would have assumed Rachel, her coconspirator, would want to be there.

"Look his truck has gone too", Puck pointed to the now empty parking space.

Quinn followed his finger curiously.

Had they left together?

No, she reassured herself.

Rachel had major Finn issues, and Finn? He hadn't spoken about her in years let alone to her. Quinn had been surprised enough when she saw them go to talk in the first place.

But still she couldn't deny the evidence was pointing that way.

She whipped out her phone dialing Carol Hudson, who answered after a few rings.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mrs. Hudson, it's Quinn. I was just wondering, I know Finn is staying with you at the moment but, has he come home?", Quinn asked the woman not making time for small talk.

A moment of silence passed before Carol responded, "No sweetie, he hasn't been home. I'd of thought he'd still be at the party".

"No problem, then Mrs. Hudson. Sorry I bothered you, Finn has just got away from me is all. Goodnight".

Quinn put the phone down making a mental note to get Finn to explain her random phone call to his mother later.

However right now she knew they left around 30 minutes ago and from here his mother lived a 10 minutes drive, tops.

"He wouldn't have gone back to his moms with Rachel would he? He's not THAT much of a moron. His mom is there! Heh. Although he is a dumb ass. Remember that time he ran around the..."

She walked over to Puck and put her finger to his lips as she dialed a new number, "Shut up rummy".

Quinn listened to the bubbly voicemail of Rachel Berry before speaking again.

"Rachel Berry, I don't know where you are but the evidence is stacking up against you. If you are indeed where I'm beginning to think you are with who I think you might be with? Well, in that case we're going to have a very long conversation in the morning and you will be the one to tell Schuester why you and Mr. Hudson missed singing 'Happy Birthday' to him. It's actually quite unreal, you of all people missing a chance to sing. Call me tomorrow and have a good excuse ready. Something better than 'he just gave me a ride'. Night night".

Puck was in fits at this point. Giggling.

Noah Puckerman, drunk, in a parking lot, giggling.

"Lets get you back inside and get you something to eat before you go all Pukezilla", Quinn said taking him by the arm an leading him back into the warmth of the party.

-X-

Quinn ran down the stairs, happy to be out of her coach uniform.

She truly loved working with the Cheerios as Sues second in command but the athletic tracksuit she was required to wear cramped her style.

Spotting Puck on the sofa she crept over, easily not noticed as he was more engrossed in the Sunday morning cartoons than Russ was.

She clapped her hands loudly next to his ears causing him to groggily recoil.

"Why would you do that? What could I have possibly done to you?", he asked with a moan.

"Oh nothing I guess but I've gotta get my kicks somehow. Anyway I just wanted to tell you that your mom is coming over to help you with the kids because I'm going out".

She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

"That's news to me. Where are you going?", he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm going to grab some lunch with Rachel", she replied nonchalantly as she checked her hair in the mirror.

"I didn't know you had plans... or that you invited my mom over".

Quinn smiled sweetly at her clueless husband as she grabbed her keys, opened the door and winked, "oh Rachel doesn't know we're having lunch".

She walked out to her car with a renewed sense of purpose and checked her phone before starting the car up. Giving Rachel one last chance.

No messages.

Quinn grinned, oh she could play it this way.

Driving through the quiet Sunday streets to the hotel she sang, happily, along to the radio.

As she walked into the reception the bright lights hurt even her sober eyes.

"Hi, I'm meeting my friend for lunch, she's staying here. Can you just tell me her room number please?"

The cheerful man on the front desk replied with vigor, "name?"

"Rachel Berry".

"One second. Ahh room 65. Take the elevator to the fifth floor, turn left, end of the hall. Would you like me to call ahead?"

Quinn shook her head, "oh no, she's expecting me. Thank you so much".

"Have a nice day", he smiled at her as she walked away.

She jumped in the elevator and prepared her game face. Sickeningly sweet.

Quinn power walked the corridor and knocked loudly at the door. She heard a fumble inside and Rachel's voice, "just a minute".

The door eventually opened and Rachel stood with not a hair out of place in skinny jeans and a black sweater. She jumped at the sight of Quinn.

"Quinn, what are you doing here?"

Quinn reached forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, "oh Rachel, I was so worried. I didn't know where you'd got to last night and all I got was your voicemail and so I thought I'd surprise you".

Rachel quickly adjusted her face to regret. "Oh sorry Quinn. I haven't had a chance to check my messages", Quinn could see in her face that she had checked them, "I was unfortunately feeling a little under the weather so I came straight back here".

"But you're ok now?", Quinn asked acting concerned.

"Of course. It was a minor blip in my otherwise perfect health but I didn't want to... distract anyone from the celebrations".

Quinn brightened up, "great I'm glad you've recovered because now we can get some lunch! I know you're free and I won't take no for an answer".

Rachel's eyes widened in horror but she recovered quickly and looked around into the room briefly, "I just need to get some shoes on and then I'd be happy to get some lunch".

Quinn said nothing but nodded towards the room. Rachel sighed, getting the hint, "won't you come in while I get some shoes on?"

Walking into the room, Quinn evaluated it as quickly as she could, trying to find anything that wasn't 'Rachel'.

Rachel sat down on the end of the bed quickly zipping up a pair of black ankle boots, "ok Quinn I'm ready, we can go now".

Quinn felt defeated, there was no immediate evidence of anything out of the ordinary, not that she'd had as much time as she would have liked to check things out. Slumping her shoulders forward slightly in defeat, she left the room and stood outside waiting for Rachel, who upon shutting the door hurried her towards the elevator.

"Wait", Quinn said halfway down the corridor, "we should invite Tina, she's staying next door right?".

Rachel's face once again flashed in horror but instead of covering it up with a smile she merely shook her head, "No I don't think that's such a good idea, Tina can be a little out of sorts on Sundays. She likes her rest and I know she was woken up early this morning so she's not in the best of moods".

Rachel attempted to grab Quinn's arm to stop her but Quinn wriggled free and took her time walking back towards the door next to Rachel's, "it's nearly 12, I'm sure she'll be fine".

As Quinn raised her arm to knock a door opened.

Momentarily Quinn thought that Tina was psychic but it wasn't Tina's door that opened.

The slightest of creeks caught Quinn's attention as Rachel's door opened and a pair of eyes looked out, saw Quinn and the door slammed shut.

She almost shouted 'gotcha' as she side stepped to door 65 and began banging on it, "open this door now".

Rachel was at her side in a second, "what's going on?"

"Don't play dumb with me Berry. We're out here so WHO is in there? Not that I really need to ask".

Before Rachel answered the door swung open and she looked in to see Finn slow clapping her, "well done Colombo. You caught us, what are you gonna do? Tell my mom?"

Quinn smiled at her own success, "no but you should really call your mom, she'll be so worried you didn't come home last night. Especially after I called her to ask if you had come home because I didn't know where you was".

Finns face fell and he began searching for what she could only assume was his phone, Quinn simply turned to Rachel, "so Rachel, lunch?"

She knew that the best way to get to the bottom of this was to get her alone.

Rachel looked between them both and eventually accepted her fate as she turned to Quinn, "sure Quinn, lead the way".

Quinn linked arms with Rachel and led her away as Rachel turned and mouthed something to Finn, who was now staring at the pair in bewilderment.

Once the elevator doors closed on them leaving Finn still at the door to the room, Rachel asked, "you're going to make me talk aren't you?"

"Oh you're going to sing like a canary Berry".


	21. Finns Goodbye

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**Ok guys we have only two chapters left and you're about to read one of them. Yep it's penultimate chapter time. It's Finn-abulous. **_

_**Anyway yeah I'm kinda getting sad that we're getting to the end now. I was thinking about a epilogue but not 100%. Unless people like desperately want one. I'm also thinking of maybe doing a one shot (rated M) from this story of Finn and Rachel's night in the hotel. I don't know though. No promises there it's just something I may play around with and if I think it works I'll post it. I don't know how well it'll go with the comedy side of this story. **_

_**Onwards and upwards. I also have a few ideas for a few other glee fics in the future so hopefully we'll meet upon another fanfic. **_

_**Finally, and I will say this again next chapter, but a huge shoutout to my faithfull reviewers. You guys rock and keep me wanting to write the next chapter. In fact that goes for all of you reading this story who have it on alerts or favorties. Thanks for sticking with me and coming back to read it. And to anyone reading this in the future once it's complete (ooo spooky I'm talking to the future readers now) thanks for making it this far. **_

_**Much love, as ever. Finchel for the ages! **_

_**-X-**_

Finn had no idea what was going on.

He'd been staring at his phone for, like, four hours now.

He'd feigned writing emails on his laptop and it still sat there, open, with a half written sentence on the screen.

He couldn't take his eyes off of his stupid phone.

As if to finally put him out of his misery it buzzed.

It almost slipped out of his hands in his rush to grab it, but his happiness was short lived when he saw a text message from Puck.

He couldn't work out why he hadn't heard anything from her. Quinn had ambushed Rachel hours ago, there was no way they were still eating lunch.

With a lot less enthusiasm he opened the text message.

"Did you tap that last night?"

Finn stared at the letters on the screen not knowing if he was horrified or embarrassed. Or both.

His thumbs flew over the screen to reply as noncommittally as he could, "I don't know what you're talking about".

He threw the phone back down and began pacing the basement, that was now a guest room in his Mothers and Burt's home. He was desperately trying to decide his next move. Should he call her?

Minutes later a reply came through, "You're too dumb to play dumb. My wifey told me and by the look on Rachel's face, it's a yes".

Finn thought his head might explode as he text back, "Is she still there? And whatever dude, not that it's any of your business but yes me and Rachel did the dirty last night, you happy now?"

"Alright my boy! You know your business is my business Finny D, I gots to look out for you. And no she's not here. Left about an hour or two ago".

As Finn hit reply his phone buzzed again to alert him of a second message. Quickly exiting the reply screen the name he had been waited for flashed up.

"Finn I was hoping you're free tonight to spend the evening together? We have a lot to discuss and I was hoping we could have our first real date before I have to fly back to New York tomorrow. I will be there to pick you up in half an hour unless you can't make it? -Rachel x"

Now he was pretty sure he was having a panic attack. Finn read the message again five times before it all sunk in.

She was flying home tomorrow?

She wanted to have a date tonight?

Half an hour?

Coming to his senses he replied with a quick, "sounds great, see you then", before throwing open his suitcase and reaching in for something suitable to wear.

After throwing on some clothes he deemed 'smart casual' he wandered upstairs to wait for her.

She wasn't due to be there for 15 minutes.

It's not like he was being over eager or anything.

"Are you going out?"

Finn looked for the source of the voice and saw his mom walk over to him, where he was sitting in the living room.

"Yeah mom".

"Where?", she asked sitting beside him.

He wasn't quite sure that he wanted to tell her but then again, why not tell her? She's only been bugging him for years to settle down.

Not that he was settling down or anything, but it had been a long time since Finn had dated.

Unless one night stands counted as dating. And he was pretty sure they didn't count.

"I've got a date", he said slowly, waiting for her reaction.

Her eyes lit up in a instant and she turned to look at him properly, "you have a date? with who?"

"Rachel Berry".

Suddenly his mother had her arms wrapped around him in a bear hug. "Finally! I'm so happy that you two finally sorted things out".

Finn felt like an idiot. Was _everyone_ waiting for the ticking time bomb that was Rachel and Finn to get together?

He heard a knock at the door and was suddenly very thankful Rachel was always early.

"Mom that's her. I've got to go, ok?", he said peeling his mother off of him.

She nodded to herself, "Of course, have a great time. I know you're a grown man now and you don't need your mother kissing you goodbye like it's prom or anything but..."

She trailed off as she leapt up and planted a motherly kiss on his cheek before shooing herself away into the kitchen.

"Mom!", Finn felt like a child as he began rubbing his cheek with his sleeve.

He smiled though as he opened the door, "Rach!"

She giggled, "were you expecting someone else?"

"No, no. I just... I'm just glad you're here. I'm glad you made it out of chez Puckerman alive and wow, you look great by the way".

She blushed as he admired the fitted dress wrapped around her body.

He looked out for her car but saw only empty road, "Rach how did you get here?"

"I got a cab. I thought that since it's our first date I didn't want to deprive you of the privilege of driving. I didn't want to undermine your manhood or anything barbaric".

"Right... It would help if I knew where we were going", he said opening the door to his truck for her.

"Finn. We're in Lima, Ohio. We're obviously going to Breadsticks".

"Obviously", he agreed with a grin as he slid into the drivers seat and started the engine.

Finn lasted about five minutes into the ride to Breadsticks before he blurted out what had been playing on his mind since she text him.

"So you're flying back to New York tomorrow?"

She sighed, looking at the road as she answered, "I have to. The album is out a little while after but my first single is released in 3 weeks. I've got all the promotional appearances, interviews and a few performances. I would however love it if you would take me to the airport tomorrow?"

"Of course. But this is our _first_ date?", he asked, emphasizing first.

"I want to make this work Finn, I really do but we have to accept that we live two different lives. Lima was never big enough for either of us and now we live miles apart. That is what I wanted us to talk about tonight".

Finn almost took his eyes off of the road as he figured out where it sounded like she was heading with this, "are you breaking up with me?"

He felt like a fool the moment he said it.

Breaking up from what? Their one night together last night and a dinner at Breadsticks?

However Rachel answered quickly, "No! I mean, no I'm not breaking up with you. I'm simply saying we both live in different worlds. I have my career and you have yours, which by the way I did some research on and your achievements are very impressive".

He almost laughed at her summing up his achievements as very impressive. She even made football sound formal.

And she didn't want to break, whatever they had, up.

He wasn't that much of a doofus then.

He pulled the truck into a free parking space and took his keys out of the ignition.

"Shall we?", she asked reaching for the handle.

His hand stopped her.

"I want to finish this first, so what does that mean for us? Our different lives?"

"It's something we need to discuss tonight. Ultimately we need to answer the question of, can we make this work long distance? It won't be forever but it might be for a while".

Finn could tell she was nervous as she waited for him to speak and he could tell it was one of those moments that could make or break the rest of his life.

He chose his words carefully, a rarity for him.

"I'll do whatever I need to do to make this work. I meant everything I said this morning".

She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips before getting out of the car.

-X-

The morning had come all too early for Finn.

He thought, with a smile, the same might be true for Rachel.

After all she had drank four glasses of wine last night and considering she's really tiny, he was surprised she could stand after.

It was the only excuse he could think of for her being late. She had asked him to pick her up at 9am, sharp, and he had now been waiting ten minutes.

He was about to pick up his phone and call her again when he saw her trundle out of the hotel.

She looked like the walking dead, with a pink suitcase.

Finn rushed out of the truck to grab her luggage off of her, "good morning Rach".

"I would appreciate you telling me what is so good about this particular morning?"

"Hungover huh?", he asked as he lifted her suitcase in the truck.

What the hell did she have in that thing? It weighed, like, the weight of a linebacker.

"I blame you Finn. If you hadn't of ordered me that last glass".

"It's always the last glass", he mumbled getting in next to her.

The ride to the airport was considerably quiet. Rachel, in the hopes of recovery, was drinking unnatural amounts of water, refusing to take her sunglasses off and requesting not even the radio be on because she "only just banished the most hideous headache in the history of time and any sound is liable to bring it back".

The silence didn't help Finn.

He spent the journey, first, arguing with himself over which Rachel was more adorable, drunk or hungover?

Obviously drunk Rachel.

Following that he then realized she would be gone in a few hours and not only did the thought of her going leave a bad taste in his mouth but he also began to panic that he didn't have some great speech planned for their goodbye.

He knew she'd love some romantic speech with declarations of love and sorrow as they say goodbye.

Unfortunately Finn was not _that_ guy. Or at least he didn't think he was.

The fact was that all he could think to say when they would part was, "I love you Rach".

Even that took a fair chunk of the car journey to get right in his head. It just showed that he wasn't great with words and if she wanted a romantic goodbye speech she'd have to write it herself.

And she looked in no mood to be doing that.

Once they arrived Rachel seemed better than she had, the main improvement being she'd stopped downing water like it was the end of the world.

"Ready?, Finn asked offering her his hand.

He hated that she still had the glasses on though, it was so much harder to see what was going on inside her head. All he got was a smile and her clutching his hand like a lifeline.

Checking in and milling around the airport went too quickly. In what seemed like the blink of an eye they stood at the line for security scanners, once she went through to departures he wouldn't be able to follow.

"So", he said looking down at her.

She swept her sunglasses onto the top of her head and smiled up at him, "so".

"Look Rach, I'm not great with words or anything so I'm just gonna say that... I love you and I'm gonna miss you".

She wrapped her arms around his middle, "I can't believe it took all this time, all these wasted years. I know I am one for dramatics at the best of times Finn but all those years I loved you and was too blind and stubborn to realize. I finally get a chance to say it to you and now we are tragically torn apart. It's not fair. However I realize I played a part in our long and unfortunate years of solitude so for that I am truly sorry. My only wish is that I could change just one of my past decisions, maybe just one and we wouldn't have wasted so long but..."

Finn did the only thing that he was sure would shut her up.

He kissed her.

She moaned softly against his lips as cupped her face with his hands.

As they eventually broke apart she panted for air and stepped back to steady herself.

He couldn't help but smile at his effect on her.

Finn didn't want to hear anything else about the past. He didn't want any more apologies, no more relentlessly discussing why things happened the way they did.

"Sometimes things just happen Rach and we can't do anything except live through it. I don't care about who said what in the past anymore, I just want to focus on the future".

Rachel grinned, "our future".

He kissed her one more time and whispered a final goodbye in her ear, to which she replied, "for now".

Finn stood there and watched her walk away, he watched her mingle in to the crowds on the other side of security and he watched the crowds for just a little while after that. Not being able to see her but knowing she was there.

Maybe he was the guy for romantic airports goodbyes.

Eventually he heaved himself back through the airport thinking to their forthcoming long distance relationship. She was in New York for at least the next 4 weeks. If not longer.

The only place she would be other than New York was the occasional promotional trip to LA.

He was in Iowa until school let out for summer.

She had made sure his laptop had a webcam, that's how they'd get by apparently. That and phone calls. And as she said, he would be able to see her on TV.

But it didn't sit right with Finn.

Just seeing her on TV or over a computer screen.

He groaned at the thought of not holding her. Not being able to kiss her. In the last 36 hours or so he had become heavily dependent on her.

He figured all that time fighting his feelings, bottling them up? They were coming back to bite him in the ass now.

Goddamn Hudson get a hold of yourself.

His phone buzzed, "I'm boarding now so I'll have to turn my phone off. I miss you already xxx".

It was going to be a long few months.


	22. Rachels Hello

_**-Authors Notes-**_

_**And here we are dearest readers. The final countdown (Ok how many of you started singing that in your head?). Firstly it's a Rachel chapter. I had to finish with the woman herself. Secondly the second part hopefully you will all get the IM convo there, Rachels is in "" and Puck/Quinn are in italics. Simples. **_

_**Oh lordy I'll miss this story. It was so much fun writing it. Most of all though I'm going to miss you guys. My wonderful readers. I had some awesome reviews on the last chapter. I'd also love to hear what you guys think after this one. On this chapter/the story in general? Much appreciated because as I've said before you guys are the reason I write and there's no better people to write for in my book. You've all been so awesome with the sticking with the story and such. Big kisses to all of you. **_

_**It's going to be really weird clicking complete after putting this chapter up but I'm looking forward to it. I don't know about you but we had a good run. This feels done. Please feel free to yell at me if you disagree there!**_

_**But yeah I know I'll be having glee fic withdrawals so I wouldn't be surprised if I've launched into one of my other ideas by next week!**_

_**Oh the small snippet of song Finn sings is 'Flowers' by Sweet Female Attitude.**_

_**Thank you all so much for reading. It was fun. Live long and Finchel forever! **_

_**-X-**_

Rachel had spent a week in New York and already she missed Lima.

Lie.

She missed Finn. And Finn wasn't even in Lima anymore.

She'd spent a mere 48 hours with him, which was not enough time in her humble opinion.

Rachel almost couldn't believe how things had changed, she found herself undeniably in love with him in an instant. Like she had been in love with him all along.

However now she was suffering without him.

If Rachel was being honest with herself, she felt to blame. No matter what led her or pushed her there (he had insisted that it was his fault) her relationship with Jesse had been the reason she hadn't spent the last 8 years blissfully in love with Finn Hudson.

Jesse St. James felt like a lie, her relationship with him felt like the best performance of her life.

With Finn she didn't need to perform, she was truly in love with him.

Which was probably how she ended up where she was, thinking of Finn in the middle of an interview.

"So you are seeing someone?", Sarah, the journalist, asked.

Rachel shook her head, not in answer to the question but to bring herself back down to earth.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Well I was just mentioning that a little over a year ago the hot news was the breakdown of your envious relationship with Jesse St. James who has largely disappeared from the theatre scene since then. However you seem to have bounced back amazingly, I was asking if you were seeing anyone at the moment and frankly your eyes lit up".

Sarah smiled at Rachel but Rachel had not forgotten the recorder sitting at the edge of the table.

She straightened up, for once not knowing what she was about to say, "I feel like there are two questions in there. Firstly in regards to Jesse I'd like to say that as much as I wished to remain friends, I'm an adult, and I understand some things are not meant to be"

"Much like your relationship in the first place?", Sarah cut in.

"I was happy with Jesse, he is a wonderful man, very talented and any woman would be lucky to have him but yes, we were not meant to be. As much as it saddened me, he was not the one".

Sarah smiled at Rachel's diplomacy, "so have you found the one? Or are you still on the market?"

Rachel couldn't hide the grin on her face as her mind flashed on thoughts of Finn.

"That looks like a yes to me", Sarah added egging her on.

Rachel smiled contentedly as she looked down at the shiny silver recorder and thought that perhaps it was the modern day shouting from the rooftop.

"I can't deny that very recently I have started seeing someone and I absolutely adore him. He is the one and I cannot see myself with anyone else".

Sarah smiled widely, whether it was at Rachel's endearing admittance or the scoop she had just bagged, Rachel wasn't sure.

However being a journalist it was probably the latter.

"Can I get a name?", Sarah pushed further.

Rachel once again shook her head, "he knows who he is, my jolly green giant".

She giggled to herself at the nickname she had just tagged Finn with. She was fairly sure he would kill her when he found out and by the look on Sarah's face, it would definitely be printed.

Sarah toned down her questions and wrapped up the interview as their food was taken away.

Rachel wondered if it was the cocktail at lunch that had given her the cheeky courage to mention Finn.

Sarah turned off the recorder and began thanking Rachel for her time, "that was all great Rachel, I think you'll be very pleased with the article. Of course I'll make sure we send you a copy of the issue. It will hit stands Saturday"

Rachel gave her a friendly smile, "it's New York magazine, I have a subscription of course. But thank you for the offer".

They exchanged pleasantries and Rachel left taking the short walk home.

Her phone began playing 'Eye of the Tiger', which always made David laugh knowing it was her ringtone for him.

"Hi David", she answered rolling her eyes as she began walking into her building.

"Rachel! How did the interview go?"

She began climbing the stairs so she wouldn't loose her phone reception in the elevator, "great, I mentioned the name of the single and album enough times to make you happy and I got a chance to talk about returning to Broadway at some point in the future".

"Of course you did superstar. Are you ready for Jimmy Fallon tomorrow?"

She reached the top of the stairs, "as ready as I'll ever be..."

It was then Rachel noticed the bunch of red roses outside her door.

"David, I've got to go. See you tomorrow, bye", she ended the call before he could respond and ran over to read the card sticking out of the top of the flowers.

_Seriously? I've been sitting on skype for like an hour now. Get your ass on here, I miss you - Finn_

Rachel laughed and wondered how long the flowers had been waiting there for, meaning he'd been waiting longer.

Opening the door a lot faster than normal did, she practically skipped inside and turned on her laptop while putting the roses into a vase.

It seemed to take a lifetime for skype to open up.

She looked for his name and clicked the video call button, which he answered immediately.

"Good afternoon handsome"

-X-

The rain battered New York that particular Monday evening.

Rachel was, for lack of a better word, soaked, and that was only on the journey from the car to her apartment building.

A whole thirty seconds.

After a long day of being photographed for promotional articles, interviews and more interviews, she wanted nothing more than to relax.

Her small amount of time outside left her feeling cold and soggy once she entered the warm apartment.

"Shower", she muttered to herself.

After washing away the rain water and drying off she slipped into some PJ's.

Ever since Finn and her had been using their webcams she liked to make sure she wore provocative PJ's. Either low cut or lacy.

To keep him honest, she reasoned.

Tonight she had chosen a pair of checked boy shorts and a black low cut _and_ lacy top.

Sometimes she was just cruel.

Rachel however found her efforts wasted when she logged on to her computer to find Finns name not among those friends that were online.

Curiously she grabbed her phone and hit Finns speed dial only to be left with his groggy voicemail message.

Something was going on.

Spotting Noah's name on her online friends list she opened up a new message box.

"Good evening Noah"

_Berry! What are you doing talking to me? Shouldn't you be teasing the living hell outta Finnigan or some crap?_

Despite no one else being in the room Rachel blushed at the thought of Finn talking to Noah about her.

"Actually I'm sure you can see Finn isn't on line. You wouldn't happen to know why would you?"

_The boy lives in Iowa and I'm not his mother. I don't know where he is._

"Ahh but you are his best friend and"

"Actually is Quinn there?"

_Let me just get her._

Rachel could almost hear him mumble under his breath as he went.

_Rachel?_

"Quinn?"

_Yes Rachel, what's up?_

"What did you have for lunch the day before I left Lima?"

_A delicious, crispy BLT and a pack of mints afterwards. And now I'll have to delete this conversation before my idiot Jewish husband returns. _

Rachel sighed in relief, "Sorry Quinn I had to check Puck actually went to get you. I'm worried about Finn"

"He's not online, I can only get his voicemail. Puck said he has no idea where he is but I thought maybe he was protecting him in a form of male solidarity"

_I have no idea what's going on with Finn, Rachel. _

_Oh I did want to say I saw you on Jimmy Fallon, you were great :) _

Rachel couldn't ignore the attempt to change the subject.

"Are you sure you don't know anything? And thank you, Jimmy is actually lovely and said some very nice things about my performance".

_Finn probably checks in more with you now than he ever did with Puck so if anyone would know anything it's you. I'm glad everything is going well. I can hear Jack crying so I'm going to have to go. Bye Rachel! x_

Rachel stared at the words 'Puckerone is now offline' for a few minutes.

For some reason she felt like perhaps Noah had been the most honest of the two in that conversation.

She quickly typed a text message on her phone for Finn to call her once he turned his phone back on and shut down her laptop.

Deciding she deserved a break she curled up on her sofa under a blanket with the remote in her her hand until she found one of her favorite movie channels currently half way through showing 'My Fair Lady'.

Settling in with her phone on the table next to her she soon found herself drifting off to the steady patter of the rain on the windows.

When Rachel opened her eyes again it seemed like everything was happening at once around her.

'My Fair Lady' had become 'Sweet Charity' which was in the middle of 'Big Spender'. Her phone was humming around the table top, apparently on vibrate, her apartment buzzer was frantically being pressed and the rain was coming down, if possible, harder than ever.

Ignoring the phone for the more persistent, and much louder, door buzzer she rushed over to pick up the wall phone connecting her with downstairs.

"Hello Miss Berry?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry to call so late but I have a urgent delivery for you"

She frowned at the unknown voice still slightly recovering from her sleep.

"A delivery? Now?"

"Yes"

She pressed the buzzer but didn't hear the familiar click of the door opening through the phone.

"I'm sorry Miss Berry the door doesn't seem to be opening. I hate to put you out in any way but would it be possible for you to come down. I wouldn't ask except the sender spent a lot to ensure this arrived today".

She sighed, the amount of times she had filed complaints about that nuisance door sticking.

"I'm sorry where are you from?", she asked.

"Ah of course, I'm from the 45th street florist with a jolly green delivery"

Rachel looked at the clock on her wall. She began to wonder how much Finn had paid to send flowers at this time of night.

It may have been the city that never sleeps but she knew all too well, the privilege of any service after dark came at a price.

"I'll be right down".

Rachel slipped on the black pumps that were sitting by the door and a long black coat that would cover her PJ's before grabbing her keys and making her way downstairs.

Stepping out of the elevator she could see the man outside and she just about saw a cab through the rain.

"Rachel Berry?", he asked as she opened the door.

"Yes?", she held the door open but he made no attempt to come in.

He turned and whistled surprisingly loudly through the rain.

This guy was definitely a cabbie rather than a florist.

Out of the rain came a voice as the cabbie hopped down the steps, making way for a figure holding a bunch of the most beautiful pink stargazers she'd ever seen.

"I'll bring you flowers in the pouring rain, living without you is driving me insane. I'll bring you flowers, I'll make your day..."

Suddenly there was no rain, no cabbie watching the scene as he got back into his car, no steps in their way.

Rachel ran to the sound of Finn Hudson singing a cappella through the downpour.

She leapt for him and were he a smaller man he would have surely fallen backwards down the stairs.

While he didn't fall the force of her lunging at him did stop him half way through singing.

He wrapped his arms around her, the flowers still in one hand, and hugged her, spinning her on the spot.

"Finn you're supposed to be in Iowa..", she began.

She was cut off by Finn kissing her like they hadn't seen each other in years. A passionate kiss, with rain still running down their faces as they locked lips. Her wet hair was now clinging to her face and the wetness of their clothes made it harder to hang on to him.

He put her down and kissed her on the forehead, "let me grab my bag".

She waited on the top step for him. Refusing to go inside despite once again being soaked, she didn't want to let him out of her sight.

"Get inside you'll freeze", he ordered as he lugged his suitcase up the steps.

She eyed the suitcase as she waited for him, "you're staying?"

"If it's a problem I'll call the cabbie back and find a hotel", he winked at her.

She melted and not on account of stepping back inside the dry, warm lobby.

Once he was inside she shut the door behind them and jumped him again, wrapping her legs around his middle and her arms around his neck.

Rachel paid special attention to make sure her coat fell open so he caught a glimpse of her clothing as she leapt at him. No need to let a good tease go to waste.

"What are you doing here?", she asked hugging him both to support herself and to make sure he was actually there.

"I handed in my resignation", he told her proudly.

"What!", she stared wide eyed.

He chuckled and she felt the sound reverberate through his chest, "it's ok, they're not announcing it till the summer and I already have a meeting with the athletics department in Columbia. Hell, if I don't get that there's other schools or other jobs. Failing all that I've always got my talented little sugar mama", he pulled her closer as he called her that.

Rachel could feel the tears in the back of her eyes, "you left your job, your friends and your home, for me?"

He kissed her again, only briefly before speaking. "I couldn't stand this whole being away from you thing Rach, and then I read this really interesting article about you and well... your Jolly Green Giant couldn't stay away".

He raised an eyebrow as he said the last part. She giggled, blushed and then hiccuped as she began to cry.

He whispered in her ear as she cried into his shoulder, "when I said it was always you Rach, I meant you're it. The one. My one. Always have been and always will be. You're stuck with me. Sucks for you".

She cried a hundred times harder at that.

Rachel just couldn't help it.

She was a fool in love.


End file.
